


Golden Rose

by BlazersEtc



Category: The Maze Runner (Movies), The Maze Runner Series - James Dashner
Genre: Arranged Marriage, M/M, Middle Ages, Prince Thomas - Freeform, Probably some M/F procreation at some point though not as a ship, Smut, i'll add tags as i go, sort of
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-03-20
Updated: 2016-09-25
Packaged: 2018-05-28 00:14:19
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 10
Words: 28,985
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6305941
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BlazersEtc/pseuds/BlazersEtc
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Beauty is in the eyes of the beholder, sometimes others can't see that beauty with their own eyes. Where someone might see a bland white rose, some see a beautiful flower made of gold. </p><p>Thomas, Prince of Paradon, has been destined to choose a wife since he was a young man, someone to continue the royal line and become his queen; but Thomas has no interest in such an arrangement. What happens when maidens come from all over to meet the prince? Who will Thomas choose to be his wife? And who is the mysterious blonde that has escorted one of them?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Welcome to the Kingdom

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first ever Middle Ages fic. I tried to do as much research as possible but I cut back on the jargon from that time because 1) it would take hours to learn it all and use it correctly and 2) no one would be able to read it. So I added what I could while incorporating the ever loved glader slang and hopefully it doesn't pull you out of the time period too much. This fic is unbetaed so I apologize in advance if I missed something!

Thomas sighed as he drummed his fingers impatiently on the top of his ornate wooden desk. His personal servant, Minho, had left hours ago and was long past due for his return. Earlier that day Thomas had requested that Minho be brought to his chambers under the pretenses of giving Minho his plans for the day, but instead, he'd had a long chat with the boy. Minho was supposed to be Thomas's servant, someone to do the work he wasn't allowed because of his status, but Minho quickly became a friend and Thomas's closest one at that. The boys had instantly bonded and though they made sure to keep up appearances, behind closed doors Thomas treated him as an equal and Minho did the same in return. 

It didn't take long for Minho to find out the royal family secret; Thomas was gay. The kingdom was currently waiting for Thomas to find a suitor, but Thomas knew he'd be marrying for show because he could never love a girl. Thomas had tried to force himself into feeling something more than simple friendship towards females, dancing with them at his father's balls and politely chatting with them at the palace's garden parties; but Thomas never felt the heat and attraction that he felt towards the males. Thomas knew that a long look at a beautiful maiden should make him feel something, and while he could appreciate their beauty it was like seeing a beautiful flower in a garden. When Thomas looked at the males, however, he felt something completely different. Males could have the same beauty and Thomas appreciated that, but there was also an underlying current of something hot and wild, something that made Thomas's stomach twist and his cheeks grow warm. 

He'd told Minho this late one night (minus some of the more personal details) after his father had brought up the subject at dinner, knowing that soon his father would be bringing girls in from other kingdom's to meet him. Thomas knew of the traditions: The girls would be presented to him one by one in what would probably be the longest day of his life and that night a grand ball would be held where Thomas would have to dance with each in turn and make his decision. 

Thomas had told Minho how frustrated he was with the entire ordeal and how he didn't want a wife, nor did he want children. It was then that Minho gave him the best idea known to man, one Thomas was surprised he hadn't thought of himself. Minho told him to pick the least annoying 'shank' as he so affectionately dubbed them, and get a lover of the male variety to live in the palace. It wasn't ideal but it did mean that Thomas would be a little less miserable for the rest of his life. The French had been doing it for years, with the difference being they kept a Poplolly around instead of a... mister? Thomas wasn't even sure there was a name for it.

That conversation had lead to Minho's little excursion. Tomorrow was the big day and Thomas was not prepared for it. Minho had promised to gather some intel on the arriving girls and their families, maybe finding a boy with the same issue as Thomas who would be open to the idea, but Thomas knew that was a stretch. In his father's kingdom, such things were frowned upon.

Thomas was about to get up and start pacing when Minho entered Thomas's chamber, a grin on his face. "Well, that had to be the best assignment you've ever given me, your majesty. Some of those lasses are gorgeous."

Thomas snorted, rolling his eyes at Minho's sass. It was so secret that Minho loved maiden's and Thomas often teased him for being so crazy for them and Minho would quip back with a comment about it being a waste to ignore beauty. Minho wasn't afraid to speak his mind around Thomas anymore, or even sass him, and Thomas loved that about his best friend. 

"I'm glad you had fun, now tell me, what did you find?"

Minho sighed a little, sitting on the edge of Thomas's bed, looking a bit apologetic.

"It's hard to say. Some girls came with their brother's and cousins but most are so into the other maiden's around them that it made me look harmless. I don't think you'll really be able to know until tomorrow."

Thomas groaned, sliding down a bit in his chair. 

"I'm shucked."  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
"You're scaring the poor girl. You shouldn't keep such a harsh look on your face if you wish to win the heart of the girl you desire." 

Thomas's father said quietly to Thomas, an edge of teasing in his voice as yet another single female was led out of the room and another brought in. 

"You know good and well that I don't care about winning the heart of any of these girls. I'd be more than happy to rule alone." Thomas huffed a little, crossing his arms and looking to where Minho stood perfectly still against the wall, waiting for anything that he might be needed for. It always amazed Thomas how he was able to stay motionless for so long, Thomas could hardly go a minute without moving about. 

"It wouldn't do to have the future king of Paradon rule without a gorgeous woman by his side, a queen that will give you an heir. You will find a wife by tonight."

Thomas grumbled and turned away from his father, not wanting to fight, especially not in front of the next girl that entered the room, he had an appearance to keep up. This girl was tall with a small and pale frame, blonde hair so light it reminded Thomas of a winter fairy's locks was pinned perfectly in place and her blue eyes were striking, even Thomas had to admit she was beautiful, but that's not where his attention was.

Thomas's gaze had shifted instead to her escort. The boy beside her was tall and wiry, though he wasn't lacking muscles, and sported the same blonde hair though in Thomas's opinion it was a better shade, turning darker at the roots. Instead of blue eyes, Thomas found a deep brown that seemed to suck him in and make him feel warm all over. It wasn't the earthy brown of dirt but a warm and welcoming color that reminded him of chocolate. Thomas glanced to where Minho stood, hoping that Minho would have noticed Thomas's sudden fascination. 

"I present to you Dutchess Sonya Descoteaux." The blonde spoke with an accent that made Thomas's knees go weak; he was English, definitely English. 

"It's a pleasure to meet you, you highness." The girl gave a polite curtsy and Thomas was surprised to hear that her accent was not the same as the boy beside her. "My sincerest gratitude to you for extending the invitation to me and my brother."

Thomas gave the girl a nod, after the tenth girl Thomas had a hard time focusing on the boring back and forth and polite conversation. "It was my pleasure, you have been quite polite. I look forward to dancing with you tonight."

Thomas noticed the way the blonde boy stood close to the girl as if protecting her from some unseen danger. Thomas liked this about the boy, it was a nice change from the past few escorts who had practically tried to throw their daughter or sister at Thomas, wanting the money that would come with being a royal. 

The girl blushed softly and gave a little curtsy again before one of the royal guards lead her and her escort out of the room. Thomas watched them both exit the doors, his eyes glued to the back of the boy's form. Thomas looked over to Minho and nodded, that was the one, that was the boy.   
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
Merry chatter filled the large ballroom of the palace as the purple hues of the sky faded to black. The excitement of the palace's occupants had only seemed to grow since that morning and now it seemed as though the room couldn't contain the energy. Laughter could be heard from multiple seats at the long table and smiles were seen all around. The golden glow on the palace walls from the candles that lined the table and the gold sconces only added to the cheery atmosphere, but all Thomas could feel were nervous jitters. 

Earlier Minho had gone after the blonde girl and her brother as soon they'd disappeared into the palace but Minho hadn't had any private time with Thomas since, which meant that a simple 'I'll try and get him to talk to you tonight. Good luck.' was all he got. Now Thomas was sitting at the head of the table with his father as Minho stood against the wall, looking as emotionless as ever. Thomas wanted to sigh big and deep, he was bored to his core and the talk of silly kingdom gossip was doing nothing to hold his attention, instead his mind was on the blonde he'd seen earlier. 

Thomas was interrupted from his thoughts by his father who was now standing and holding his glass in the air. "I would like to thank you all for attending tonight. We are here to celebrate the beginning of my son's transition from prince to king and he can only do that with a queen by his side. I know some of you have been itching to dance with the prince, and by the end of the night, one of you will find your glass slipper." Various chuckles could be heard at the king's joke but Thomas kept his face emotionless. "Here's to the god's shining upon you!"

Everyone raised their glasses in a toast before the music struck up and Thomas was pulled from his chair by his father. His father leaned in close, "You must choose one tonight, Thomas. By midnight I want a clear answer." The king pulled out a small gold ring from his pocket. "When you find the right girl to be your queen slip this on her hand and tell her to come find me. We will announce your engagement in the morning." Thomas took the ring from his father, nerves pooling in his stomach once more. This little ring had the power to imprison him in a lifetime of unhappiness, and he had no choice but to accept it. "Now, go get them." His father winked and Thomas blushed moving out to the dance floor to take the first girl's hand, slipping the ring into the pocket of his robes.

It took an hour to get through the first few women. Thomas kept a charming smile on his face as he danced with each in turn, exchanging pleasantries and pointless conversation. Thomas was growing more and more distressed as the night wore on; how was he to spend the rest of his life with one of these women? Each just as cookie cutter as the last, and each he felt nothing for other than an appreciation for his wealth. Thomas could feel his anxiety increasing as he let another girl go when someone tapped him on the shoulder. 

"You look as if you could stand a break from all the mindless chatter." Thomas turned to see the blonde girl from earlier, smiling teasingly up at him, something most of the party guests would be scared to do. Thomas smiled genuinely for the first time that evening. 

"More than anything." Thomas held out his hand to the girl and she placed her hand in his with a smile. 

"You know, I never have enjoyed events like these. They're full of people trying to best each other. There are so many better things to do than sit around and compare wealth and good fortune." The girl shook her head slightly, a stray curl had found its way out of her updo and bounced against her cheek. 

"I couldn't agree more. If it were up to me we'd have less of these parties and more meetings to fix things in the kingdom. I don't like having a title and not being able to do any good with it." Thomas spun Sonya gently before holding her close once more. He didn't mind dancing with this girl, she was surprisingly pleasant and not because she was being fake or trying to get on his good side, she was genuine. 

"It will be yours soon, maybe then you will get your wish." She smiled and Thomas suddenly had the weird urge to trust her. What was it about this family and Thomas wanting to sudden reveal his deepest self?

"Maybe. Can you keep a secret?"

"Of course, your highness." 

"I don't even want to be here tonight. I don't wish to find a Queen, if it were up to me I'd be finding another king to rule by my side." Sonya's smile only widened at the admission, an airy laugh escaping her mouth; Thomas liked the sound.

"Can you keep a secret?" She teased, her eyes sparkling. 

"Of course, Dutchess." Thomas teased right back. 

"I prefer the company of female lovers. This is my father's idea to be here tonight. My lover is back home waiting for me but he has forbidden me from seeing her with the threat of my life."

Thomas frowned softly, he knew that the opinion of such relationships was not a good one, not in this kingdom but he hated to think of it as being such a dangerous thing. A plan suddenly formed in his head as the song changed but Thomas didn't stop dancing with the blonde. "What if you could both stay in the palace? I could guarantee both of your safety and you would always be protected by the soon to be king himself."

Sonya smiled softly, "As wonderful as that offer is I don't see how you're planning on pulling that off."

"Easy. I will take you as my wife. My father will be happy that I have finally found a Queen and your father will think his daughter has married into royalty. You will become a queen with your own area of the castle and your lover can move in with you. Since we're both uninterested in each other, the marriage will be a formality." Thomas looked nervous as he ended his pitch, hoping that Sonya wouldn't stomp on his foot and storm away. Thomas knew it was a risk to ask of someone he just met but it seemed worth the chance. 

Sonya stayed silent for a moment, though the smile never left her face, pondering Thomas's offer. "You know if anyone else proposed such a thing I would laugh in their face." She chuckled softly, "but for some reason, I find myself trusting you. I think that would be a lovely deal, I mean, engagement." She winked and Thomas couldn't help but grin. "I only have one request."

Thomas's eyebrows rose, curious as to what Sonya would ask. "I want my brother to come with me as well." Thomas's eyes scanned the room, searching for the blonde in question before his eyes landed on the boy. He was standing beside Minho, both of them having a conversation, though Minho's eyes were on Thomas, guarding him always. 

"I think that sounds like a very possible request. Minho seems to have taken a liking to him." Thomas teased, looking back to Sonya. He reached into his pocket to pull out the small ring his father had given him and slid it onto Sonya's hand. "My father asked that I send the lucky lady his way, I guess he'll be very excited to find you." Thomas winked and Sonya chuckled, taking a step back and curtsying politely.

"Thank you for the dance your highness." She turned and headed in the direction of the king as Thomas took the hand of the next girl in line.   
**************  
"Thank you for such a wonderful evening! We shared in much merriment together and I hope that the celebration shall continue in your hearts well into tomorrow. Guards will show you to your rooms tonight in the guest wing. One lucky lass will win the prince's hand and we will be announcing that lucky maiden tomorrow. I wish you all the best of luck." The king smiled and turned to Thomas. 

"I just wanted to say that all of you are very beautiful women and I'm lucky to have spoken with each of you. My choice tonight isn't based on looks or social standing but on who I felt the most connection with. I hope that all of you had a wonderful time tonight and you shall all be welcomed back in the future." The crowd clapped and cheered and Thomas made his leave, desperate to escape the ball and get back to his room to try and relax. Maybe he would have Minho set him up a warm bath, though he knew how much work that would take, because he really needed a way to relieve the stress. 

Thomas made the walk to his chambers in record time and entered his room with a relieved sigh, immediately beginning to strip out of his dress robes. 

"Looks like you found a lucky lady, shuck-face." 

Thomas jumped, turning to see Minho sitting on the stone window sill and grinning. 

"You scared the shite out of me Minho. Geez." Thomas shook his head and set his crown on its pillow and reaching for his sleep shorts. 

"You might want to put something a little more decent on. Turns out there is someone who wants to talk to you." Minho stood, smirking at Thomas who groaned, taking a matching shirt from his dresser. 

"No offense Min, but can't it wait? I've done enough talking for one day." Thomas tugged the fabric over his head and flopped dramatically back onto his bed. 

"I think you're going to like this one. I already told them to be here in..." Minho paused and only seconds later there was a knock at the door. Minho grinned at Thomas, "Right on time."

Minho moved to the door and Thomas immediately stood up, unsure of who would be coming to talk to him at this hour. It had to be Sonya, after all there really wasn't anyone else not currently in his room that Thomas would want to be talking to this late at night. When the door opened, however, Thomas's breath caught in his throat  
.   
"Ah, Newt. Right on time. Please come in." Minho greeted Newt with a grin, stepping aside to let him in the door. "Since you're practically the prince's brother in law now I feel safe leaving you here while I go start preparations for tomorrow. Goodnight Your highness." Minho bowed out and closed the door behind him, leaving Newt and Thomas alone but not before shooting Thomas a wink. 

Now that Thomas was only a few feet from Newt he could make note of all the details that he'd missed earlier. Newt was taller than he was, lankier but not unpleasant, in fact, Thomas thought just the opposite of his lean frame. His skin was slightly tan, obviously this boy had worked in his life and unlike Thomas was allowed to do said work outside, Thomas made a note to ask him about it later. Newt's blonde hair was long but not so long that Thomas wanted to ask Minho to fetch a pair of sheers and it was slightly fluffy; Thomas had to restrain himself from reaching out to run his fingers through it to see what it would feel like in his hands. 

"You're highness." Newt bowed politely, shifting a bit awkwardly as if he wasn't quite sure that what he was doing was allowed. 

Thomas shook his head, "I get enough of that all day, Please, call me Thomas."

Newt smiled a bit, "Of course."

"So what brings you to the Prince's chambers? I thought for sure you'd be with your sister." Thomas sat on the edge of his bed, not wanting to stand for longer than he had to after being on his feet all night; and having his feet stepped on all night. Thomas really wasn't sure how half of those girls managed to walk without taking off people's toes. 

"I wanted to thank you. My sister has been living in fear of our father for far too long, and now she doesn't have to worry about any of it. I don't know why you did it, passing on finding a bride for yourself just to help my sister, but I thank you for it. It's a weight off of her shoulders and I've never seen her so relaxed."

Thomas shook his head, suddenly feeling a little guilty that his motivations were just a bit selfish. "Really, it's no trouble and I'm not just helping her. This way I don't have to find a bride of my own, I don't want one."

Newt's eyebrows furrowed in clear confusion. "Unless you have her executed you won't be able to marry another, not matter how much time passes." Newt started to grow worried, would this man have his sister put to death once he got bored of her and wanted a maiden of his own?

Thomas laughed quietly, shaking his head at the look on Newt's face. "I'm not exactly worried about that. I uh, find another gender to be my taste." Thomas was blushing ever so slightly but he knew that in the dim candlelight Newt probably wouldn't be able to see. 

Newt's eyes widened a bit as realization dawned on him. "Oh. Forgive me. I just assumed..."

Thomas shrugged, "Nothing to forgive, I try to keep that from being common knowledge. It's a royal family secret, only Minho and my father knew until tonight, and you and your sister are the only other two I trust that information with."

It was a warning, a subtle one but it was still there and Newt easily picked up on it. "Of course. It's not my place to go blabbing about your personal life anyway. It's not a fun situation when someone decides to go blabbing your preferences." Newt suddenly looked a bit uncomfortable and Thomas wondered what had made the boy so uneasy. Thomas knew better than to pry however, so he let it slide. 

"What happens inside these walls stays inside these walls. That goes for you and Sonya as well. Whatever you wish to be kept hidden, will stay hidden and anyone who tries to expose it shall be at the mercy of my wrath."  
Newt nodded in understanding, a small smile playing on his lips. "Thank you."

Thomas nodded, "You're welcome. I hate to be a rude host but I'm exhausted from the festivities...and if I don't go to bed within the next few minutes I may just fall asleep while you're still here."

Newt gave Thomas a small smile, "I'll take my leave." Newt turned to the door and opened it a crack before turning his head to give Thomas one last smile before stepping into the hall.


	2. Realizations and Revelations

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Typically these updates will come once a week, but I just got too much out of my system writing this and I figured I should upload it to keep me motivated to write the next chapter. I'd love to hear what you guys are thinking about this story!

The next morning the announcement was made that Prince Thomas would be marrying the dutchess, and just like that the planning for the wedding began. Thomas was brought into countless meetings with all the different members of the kingdom, each in charge of an aspect of planning the grand day: Bakers, tailors, cooks, maids, the metal smith and even his father. He tried to stay focused during these meetings but it grew tiresome, putting so much effort into an event that meant so little. Thomas gave up as much control as he could to Sonya, who seemed to enjoy the planning of the event, even if she didn't care about the reason for having it. Sonya liked to be busy and since Royalty wasn't allowed to work this gave her something to do.

Thomas and Sonya had grown closer over the months that followed the engagement announcement. They attended parties and dinner's together, always seated side by side, and always joking back and forth. To the kingdom they seemed like a happy couple, one that paid attention to the other and was secure enough to joke with the other; but they didn't know the truth. Thomas was charming and chaste with Sonya, kissing her hand when he greeted and her when they parted. He would hold her parasol when they went outside to the gardens and he even gave her a gentle kiss on the cheek when the royal painter had arrived to do the couples portraits, but as soon as the doors were closed and the onlookers had gone, Thomas would focus his attentions elsewhere.

Sonya picked up on it just a few weeks after she'd moved into the palace. Thomas had made sure that Newt was invited to every single meal and activity that Sonya was invited to, seeing him as no different than her, and usually Newt sat on the opposite side of Sonya at these functions. It didn't take long for Newt to warm up to Thomas, the two boy's becoming friends almost as quickly as Sonya had latched onto him, but he was still a bit reserved. Newt was friendly with Thomas, even spending some afternoons in his chambers playing chess or talking to Thomas under the pretense of discussing giving his sister away, though really they were making fun of the outrageous sketches the palace clothier had done of wedding robes for Thomas to wear. 

Newt was easily to get along with, in Thomas's opinion, Newt always had an opinion of his own but he would stop and listen to Thomas's opinion first before stating his own and Newt's opinions always had a way about them, making you want to agree with them because they sounded so sensible. The conversations that he and Thomas got into ranged from serious to absolutely frivolous; and there were times that Thomas wished it were Newt's hand that held his ring instead of Sonya's. 

One night at dinner Sonya had noticed just how closely Thomas watched Newt, like Thomas would jump at anyone who dared get too close. The seat beside her had been taken and Newt had been late, so naturally the only seat left was the one on the opposite side of Thomas. Without his sister to sit between them newt was forced to speak to Thomas more-and Thomas wasn't complaining. In fact Thomas seemed to forget about the rest of the members at the dinner table at all. Sonya hadn't spoken a word to either of the boy's for the entire meal, yet the chatter seemed to flow constantly from the two beside her. 

She noticed how Thomas would move his hands as he spoke, almost placing his hand down on Newt's arm once before jerking it back as if he'd been burned. She noticed how when Newt spoke Thomas hung on every word, asking questions and trying to get as much detail as possible out of Newt. Thomas would listen to the awnsers as if in a trance, his eyes wouldn't budge from Newt as he hung on every word that the blonde boy uttered. Sonya noticed a lot of things about those two and Thomas's ever growing feelings for her brother was one of them. 

*****  
"Bloody hell! Can't a guy get some sleep around here?" Newt huffed, rolling onto his side as the bright afternoon sun streamed through his window. Newt hadn't been feeling like himself latley and the feeling of sickness was overtaking him; but that wasn't what was disturbing his sleep. In front of the window stood his sister, staring outside and smiling, a smile far too chipper for how awful Newt felt.

"Newt, what do you think of Thomas?"

Newt's eyebrows furrowed in confusion, what the bloody blazes did that have to do with anything?

"I'm not sure what this has got to do with me sleeping." newt groaned and buried his head into his pillow. 

"Just answer the question." Sonya crossed her arms and turned to face Newt, a smirk on her lips.

"I think he seems like a nice guy whos going out of his way to protect you. Maybe you should marry him." Newt teased and the reception of that joke was clear when a pillow came flying at his head.  
"Sometimes, Newton." She shook her head with a smile. 

Newt smiled back but didn't offer any more commentary on the matter. 

"He likes you, you know." Sonya commented, moving to the bed to place a hand on Newt's forehead, frowning at how warm it was, Newt had a fever. 

"You're insane." Newt mumbled, tugging the covers up more and snuggling deeper into his pillow. He wasn't in any mood to discuss this with Sonya, his brain could hardly comprehend why she was bringing it up. 

"I'm very smart, thank you very much. And I'm soon to be queen so you better watch what you say." Sonya was teasing again, moving to run her fingers through her brother's hair. 

"God save the queen." Newt muttered, snarking right back. 

"Really though," Sonya's tone turned serious again. " he's taken with you. You should see the way he looks at you."

"Can you leave me the bloody hell alone?" Newt muttered, "I'm not in the mood to hear your crazy musings."

Sonya shook her head and moved to close the curtains but not before opening the window to let some fresh air in. 

"Sleep well, brother. We'll talk later."  
*******  
It took Newt more than a week to get back to normal and in that time Thomas had been far too antsy for his own good. Thomas wiggled around in his seat at meetings, he stared off into space at dinner and nightly visits by Minho to make sure Newt was doing okay were arranged. Sonya watched the entire thing from Thomas's side, shaking her head at just how head over heels Thomas was for her brother. It was terribly amusing and Sonya couldn't believe how blind Newt was being.

When Newt finally returned from the living dead Sonya had greeted him with a hug and though it was a bit out of place, so did Thomas. All through out dinner Thomas spoke to Newt, asking him questions and making sure he felt well enough to be there with them. Newt tried to ignore what Sonya had told him, tried not to notice how Thomas looked him in the eyes instead of focusing on his food or Sonya, tried not to notice how Thomas would touch his arm reassuringly ever so often, and he most definitely tried not to notice how handsome Thomas looked in the light of the candles. 

Newt hadn't had a crush in a long time, too scared for his life to let his mind go into a place like that. The more he thought about what Sonya said the more he started to worry that he might like the other boy as well. Thomas wasn't ugly by any means, though he heard Minho tease him about it all of the time. Freckles dotted Thomas's face and the occasinal mole was cute, not ugly like Minho tried to suggest. Thomas's lips were a shade of red that Newt would compare to a crisp red apple, they looked delious and ready to bite. Thomas's hair was a bit messy but the kind of messy that made you think of days spent in bed, not a commoner, and Newt had already had an improper thought or two regrading Thomas's hair. 

Even with all this Newt wasn't sure what he felt for Thomas, wasn't sure that this was anything mre than attraction to someone who had the same preferences as himself; until he'd been invited out to the lawn to play a game of badmition with Thomas and Sonya. 

Outside flowers were beggining to bloom in the warm sunshine and the gentle breeze was warm instead of unpleasent. Newt had opted for a more relaxed look for the day, some breeches and a linen shirt with the first two laces undone. Thomas had opted for something a little dressier and Newt knew it was because Thomas was royalty and was expected to dress a certain way; even Sonya had new dresses comissioned for her to show off her soon to be royal status. Newt didn't have a problem with Thomas's outfit until halfway through their game. The sun had grown hot as the afternoon went on, though that was probably just because he and Thomas were playing so hard. Newt had started to sweat half an hour ago and Thomas had finally given up and removed his overcoat, leaving him in just his breeches and shirt, which was now unbuttoned several buttons, giving Newt the most delious glimpse of Thomas's pale skin. The sight was distracting and it caused Newt to miss more than one of the birdies flying his way. Newt's hands itched to run over the smooth skin there, his lips begging to follow and the images were getting to be a bit problematic for their current situation.

Finally, Newt called a time out and Thomas agreed, bringing Minho over to fetch them lunch. Sonya had been watching their game with a smile and when the boys came sauntering over (though Newt was limping a little more than usual) her grin widened.

"Very good game, boys. Newt, your slipping though, is someone a bit distracted today?" Sonya smirked and Newt glared her way. She smiled up at Thomas as he sat down beside her and took her hand, placing a soft kiss on the back of it to keep up appearances; the guards were watching after all. 

Newt couldn't help the surge of jealousy that went through him at the gesture and immediately chided himself for it, Sonya wasn't interested in Thomas, nor was Thomas interested in her. Newt wasn't a very jealous person, he was usually very good at sharing, but something about this was different. Newt didn't want anyone else to have Thomas's lips on their body and he certainly didn't want anyone else flirting with him. Newt's eyes slowly widened as he realized what he was feeling towards the prince: attraction of course, he'd be completely deluded if he tried to say he didn't feel that but there was something else that Newt felt. There was a warm tugging on his heart that he felt when Thomas smiled his way or when Thomas brushed his arm and Newt wanted more of that feeling.

"Newt? Earth to Newt!" Newt jumped a bit when Sonya snapped her fingers in front of his face. 

"Sorry, your majesty." Newt teased, smiling at his sister. 

"What were you thinking up there?" Sonya tapped on his temple and Newt playfully rolled his eyes.

"Nothing. I think the heat is getting to me."

The look on Sonya's face made it clear that she knew exactly what 'heat' was bothering him.  
******  
After his evening bath Thomas had changed into his night clothes and settled in to read a bit before bed. Thomas was lost in a world of fiction, following fairies and Vikings through a magical land when he heard a soft knock at the door. Thomas's eyebrows furrowed, Minho never knocked and Sonya would just walk right in if she needed to speak to him. Thomas closed his book and sat it aside, "Enter."

In the dim candle light of Thomas's room he could see a thin framed Blonde enter the room, limping more than usual; Newt.

"Sorry to bother you, Thomas. I couldn't sleep." Now that the words were out of Newt's mouth he felt silly for bothering Thomas with this. Thomas was the Prince, soon to be king, and he had better things to worry about than Newt's insomnia. "Actually, I shouldn't have bothered you. I'm sure you've had a long day and you don't need to be bothered with my problems."

Newt turned to exit but Thomas stopped him, standing up and reaching out for the boy's arm. "Stay. I couldn't sleep either." It wasn't completely a lie, Thomas hadn't tried yet but he didn't feel tired in the least and sleep was not in his near future now that Newt was here. 

Newt gave Thomas a grateful smile and Thomas pulled Newt to the edge of his bed and sat them both down. They were both silent for a moment, neither one of them knowing exactly what to say. Thomas didn't want to pry, knowing that Newt was one to speak when he was ready and not before. Newt's fingers played with the string son his shirt nervously and Thomas picked at a loose thread on his pants. Though the two had become fast friends most of their conversations had to revolve around wedding plans or politics, needing to keep up appearances and when they were alone it was focused more on the kingdom's and their chess games, personal details were still a bit of a mystery.

"I wanted to thank you." Newt began quietly, his eyes never looking up from his lap. "Not just for Sonya either. I...I want to share something with you and I don't want you to say anything until I'm done because I'm not sure if I can tell you everything I need to if you interrupt me."

Thomas's eyebrows furrowed, worry started to fill his chest and he shifted a bit, his shoulder touching Newt's. "I won't. I'm here to listen and nothing you say inside these walls will ever leave them."  
Newt nodded slowly, taking a deep breath as he began. 

"My mom died when I was ten. She went to call on a friend before Christmas time, late in the evening she left to bring them some Christmas cookies, and her carriage went into a ditch. She was dead when the found her, frozen to death. It hit Sony and I pretty hard but it was even worse for my father." 

Newt could still remember the sight of his Mother's dead body, lifeless and cold, curled up in a ball in the corner of the coach. Her eyes were glossed over and the spark of life she always had was gone from them. Newt's father had forced him to come search for his mother and when they'd found her his father had grabbed him by the back of his shirt and forced him to look. He shivered a little at the memory. 

"When she died my father became a different person. I got my first beating for crying at my mother's funeral. My father didn't think a man should cry and he told me I was weak. My dad put Sonya in charge of everything Mother used to do. She had to cook and clean and always make sure there was enough brew around or my father would beat her too." 

Newt could remember far too well the sight of Sonya curled up on the kitchen floor, sobbing as her father yelled at her, kicking her harshly in the side's as he spewed vial words. Newt had tried to step in, tried to stop his father, but he was small and his father was almost twice his size. Newt's voice shook a bit at the memories, and Thomas leaned every so slightly closer to try and comfort Newt. 

"It got worse the older we got. Sonya was found out by my dad when she was fifteen and the only reason he didn't beat her was because he didn't want to damage the chances of her being married off. He never hit her hard enough to break just to bruise." Newt swallowed hard as he forced himself to press on.

"When I was sixteen I became a page, making a bit of money while staying out of the house as much as possible. When I was on one of my runs I was asked to work for a few days with a hunting party, just guarding the camp while they were gone. It was easy work and I needed the money. I met a boy there, just a few years older than me, the son of the man who'd hired me. Being the age we were and having the space we did..." Thomas tried to stamp down the jealousy he felt at Newt's words, knowing that while Newt was sitting beside him someone else had their hands on him. Thomas quickly dismissed the thoughts, knowing that this was not the time to be jealous, now was a time to listen. 

"I guess my father found out where I'd gone because he found his way to the camp. We were in the throws of passion when he found us. I guess something about seeing his son under another man set him off. He drug me out of the tent and beat me, screaming at me the entire time, calling me disgusting. The last thing I remember before blacking out from the pain was him smashing my leg with one of the large stone hammers the hunting party had left at the camp."

Newt could feel a tear sliding down his cheek and he tried not to break down into sobs. That night had been the most terrifying of his life. He'd not only feared for himself but for the other boy, not wanting him to be hurt because of Newt's own mistakes. 

"My dad left me to die. The boy who I'd been ripped away from had run into the woods when my father started hitting me and came back when my father ran off. He took me into town to get my medical help. My father had shattered the bone in my leg and to this day, I still limp thanks to him. Since then...since then I've ignored that part of me. Pushed it away to keep myself safe, to keep Sonya safe...until now." Newt looked up at Thomas with watery eyes, begging Thomas not to be disgusted by him. To not think less of him for his past. 

"I like you, Tommy. I tried to ignore it, I really did, but I can't help it. Every time I see you I get this funny feeling in my stomach and every time you and Sonya hold hands I can't help but wishing it was me. I'm sick of hiding from you. I'm sick of lying to myself every time I see you."

Thomas had listened quietly the entire time, internalizing all his reactions so as not to interrupt Newt like he'd promised. He was equal part horrified and sympathetic, hating that Newt had been put through so much starting from such a young age. Thomas knew that things like this happened and though he knew of such things the idea of Newt, kind and caring Newt had gone through something so dark was terrible. Newt didn't deserve the things he'd been put through and it made Thomas feel horrible for not being able to help Newt. When Newt dropped the last bomb Thomas's eyes were full of tears, unable to believe what he'd just hear. Thomas had liked Newt for so long, keeping his thoughts to himself for fear of scaring the blonde away, but now the other boy was telling him that he felt the same. Thomas didn't have words right now, his brain was on overload, too many emotions were swirling through him, so instead he did the only thing he could think of to make Newt understand; he kissed him. 


	3. I See Fire

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I was going to try and wait to update until next Tuesday, so that I would be posting a chapter a week...but apparently with how crazy my schedule is and the fact that being sick means I have time to write I ended up updating today. So...enjoy! And yes, the title is based on the Ed Sheeran song. Hush.

Newt froze the second Thomas's lips were on his own, his reflexes telling him to pull away and hide before his father could find out. The need to protect himself, to protect Thomas, was the first thing on his mind. Thomas felt Newt freeze and he started to pull back, worried that he'd done something wrong but Newt chose that moment to come to his senses and moved forward to keep their lips pressed together. Thomas couldn't believe his luck.

Thomas knew that there would need to be a conversation later, one making sure they were both on the same page with all of this, to define whatever this was, but right now Newt's lips were distracting him. Thomas had shared a breif kiss only once in his life, sneaking away from a party when he was merely thirteen to trade a chaste kiss with a girl about his age. The two had been bored to tears at their parents lavish party and once the party games turned into too much drinking and slow dancing Thomas had suggested they go off and walk the castle together. The kiss was an after thought.

Thomas had heard about kissing from the older boy's at the castle and since his body had started to change Thomas had feelings that he could only explain as the feelings the older boys so often talked about having for the maiden's of the kingdom. Thomas liked this girl, she was funny and she didn't want to be at this party any more than he did, so he kissed her. That kiss had been one of discovery and questioning, messy and confused and even a little disgusted (Thomas didn't understand why the other boys spoke so highly of such an activity, it was just wet and mushy and reminded Thomas of holding a toad he'd once found in the gardens); but this wasn't a kiss seeking an awnser to a question, this was a kiss of declaration and passion. Newt's lips were warm and soft against his own, drawing fire into the pit of his stomach with every press of their lips. The sensation was pleasent and exciting, not awkward and gross, it made Thomas feel flushed all over, and Thomas wanted more of it. 

Thomas could feel Newt's tounge poking out of his mouth to press against his lips and Thomas parted his lips slightly to give Newt what he wanted, quietly moaning into the blonde's mouth. Newt leaned into the kiss, placing his left hand on Thomas's thigh to balance himself, so as not to fall off the bed. Thomas was new to all of this and he was suddenly wondering why he'd never tried this before because this was better than anything he'd ever felt before. Thomas could feel the butterflies in his stomach jumping around when he felt the heat from Newt's hand on his leg, his arm reaching out to wrap around Newt's waist to pull him closer.

Newt took the invitation and ran with it, throwing his leg across Thomas's lap and straddling the shorter teen, tilting his head down to keep from breaking their kiss. Thomas's breath hitched and Newt broke the kiss for a second to let them both breathe, their chests rising and falling at a pace much too rapid for the small amount of kissing they'd done. Thomas's arms wrapped around Newt's waist to keep Newt from falling or moving away and leaned his forehead against Newt's own. Newt looked at Thomas for a second, making sure Thomas was still okay with their current position but before he could voice his question Thomas was pressing their lips together again and Newt's query went out the window. 

Thomas's hands gripped tightly onto the back Newt's shirt, needing to keep the other boy close, to know that this was actually happening and he wasn't lost in another dream. Newt moaned into Thomas's mouth, his arms wrapping around Thomas's neck as they kissed, trying to get even closer to the brunette. Thomas wasn't paying attention to anything other than the sensation of Newt's lips against his own and the pleasure running through him, but when Newt's hips rolled down softly against his own he noticed just how tight his sleep pants had become. Thomas moan quietly at the friction and closed his eyes for a moment, enjoying the new sensation. 

"Tommy..." Newt started, but as Thomas's hands untucked Newt's shirt and slid underneath to map over the smooth skin of Newt's back, Newt lost his voice. Newt groaned softly, his hips rutting down again, wanting more friction than what their pants would allow. 

"Tommy, are you sure?" Newt pulled back just enough to see Thomas's face, his eyes searching, though Thomas wasn't sure for what. As Thomas looked at Newt's face he knew that he didn't have to stop and think about this. Thomas had wanted this for longer than he cared to admit and there had been far too many mornings dedicated to trying to get rid of the pressure in his groin left by dreams of the Blonde. He'd spent so much time with the blonde over the past few months that Thomas knew Newt wasn't the type to get what he wanted and cut ties. Thomas trusted Newt. 

"I'm sure." Newt nodded slowly as if trying to process Thomas's answer one hundred percent before he proceeded. When his lips were back on Thomas's they were softer, not as rough but still passionate and Thomas couldn't help but moan. Newt gently pushed on Thomas's chest, and Thomas easily dropped back to the bed, Newt landing on his elbows above the prince. 

Newt smiled down at Thomas as Thomas bunched Newt's shirt up under his shoulders and Newt took the cue to help Thomas get his shirt off, pulling it over his own head. The second the offending article was off it was tossed to the side and Thomas's hands were moving over Newt's skin. Thomas's eyes were following the trail of his hands, tracing over the pale unmarked skin. Newt shivered under Thomas's touch as Thomas leaned up to kiss at the skin of Newt's shoulder. Newt immediately reached for the hem of Thomas's own shirt, pulling it off and tossing it in the same direction that his own had been thrown. 

Newt let one of his hands trace over Thomas's chest, feeling the muscles there, his fingers tracing over every freckle and mole in fascination. Thomas's skin was a map of constellations that Newt would gladly spend hours connecting together. Free of his shirt Thomas went back to his assault on Newt's skin, kissing his way from Newt's shoulders to his neck. Newt let out a breathy moan when Thomas kissed the skin of his neck, moving his head to give Thomas better access. Though Newt had only shared one sexual experience in his life he knew that his neck was one of his most sensitive spots. Thomas smirked against his neck, nipping at a patch of skin until it turned red and licked over it to soothe it. Newt's hips ground back down against Thomas's own and Thomas let out his own moan. 

Thomas hadn't been focused on his cock until just now and now that he was noticing he was desperate to have it free from the confines of his sleep pants, the tightness of them starting to become painful. Newt noticed the moan and ground his hips down again, his hand running across Thomas's nipples and twisting one with his fingers. Thomas whimpered and that was all the go ahead that Newt needed to reach for the tie to Thomas's pants. 

Newt gave the string a tug and almost breathed a sigh of relief when the tie came undone easily, meaning he didn't have to stop and sit up to get Thomas's pants off. Newt tugged on the waistband of Thomas's pants and Thomas lifted his ass to help Newt get them off, kicking them to the side when they fell to his ankles. Thomas blushed when he was fully exposed, breaking away from Newt for a moment to catch his breath. Thomas had never been naked in front of anyone before, besides Minho, and that was because Minho was the one who drew his baths. Thomas didn't know if he was considered desirable or not. Thomas had nothing to compare to and suddenly Thomas felt nervous.

"I can hear your brain melting from here." Newt teased gently, his hand moving to the laces of his own breeches. "Stop worrying. You're gorgeous." Newt smiled down at Thomas and it was like a sort of nervous calm swept over Thomas's body, if that were even a possible mix of emotions. Thomas was still inexperienced and questioning, but Newt had a way of making him feel like even though he was unsure, everything would be okay. 

Thomas leaned up to kiss Newt softly before dropping his head back to the bed and looking up at Newt with warm eyes before they darted down to where Newt had finished untying his breeches and was wriggling out of the leather material. The second the garment was gone Thomas felt his breath catch in his throat: Newt was absolutely stunning. Thomas didn't have much to draw from, but he knew from the multiple times he'd imagined this that Newt could never be replicated by a fantasy. 

Newt's skin was more tan than Thomas's, but it was flawless, no freckles or moles in sight, the only exception being his leg which had a long scar down the middle with a handful of smaller scars scattered around the thigh and knee. Thomas knew the story behind those scars and it made him feel even more special that Newt was sharing not only his body with him but the dark parts of him that no one else had seen. Thomas's eyes flicked up to Newt's arms and down to his chest. Newt had muscles, and though they weren't big and bulky Thomas found that he liked them; they showed that Newt knew how to work but that he didn't put extra work into his appearance, and Thomas liked that. Thomas had expected Newt to have some hair on his body, but aside from the underarms, it looked as if he'd taken to the royal customs of shaving everywhere and Thomas blushed when he realized where his eyes had landed. Newt's member was a bit thinner than Thomas's own, but he was longer and already dripping with precome, the tip a bright enticing pink. Suddenly, Thomas forgot everything in his head except the craving to have Newt inside of him.

Thomas's cheeks were so hot they almost hurt and Newt smiled softly down at Thomas, a light blush dusting his own cheeks at being looked over. "Like what you see?" He asked softly, teasingly, though Thomas could detect a bit of insecurity. Newt hadn't been naked around anyone since his accident and the scars on his leg were still a big insecurity for him and even though he'd bared his soul to Thomas, bearing his body meant showing the proof of the events.

"Very much." Thomas breathed back, looking back up to meet Newt's eyes. "I want you. Please, Newt. I want you."

Newt smiled softly, leaning down to gently kiss Thomas's lips, his heart fluttering at the acceptance he found in Thomas's eyes. "You have me."

Newt leaned down to kiss at Thomas's neck, nipping at the skin there as his hand trailed down Thomas's chest, over his stomach and down to wrap his fingers around Thomas's cock. Thomas whimpered at the touch and Newt didn't hesitate before he started to stroke Thomas slowly, still making sure Thomas was okay. Thomas whimpered quietly, his back arching ever so slightly and Newt smiled against Thomas's neck, placing soft kisses there before he pulled away. "Where do you keep the oil?"

Thomas blinked before he realized what Newt was asking for, blushing slightly as he motioned to the small cabinet beside his bed that held several books and glass bottles. "The green one." Thomas offered as Newt moved to open the door. 

Newt grabbed the bottle and joined Thomas on the bed, placing a hand on Thomas's upper thigh and gently tapping it. Thomas instantly spread his legs, blushing at how exposed he felt and Newt kneeled between them, running his hand soothingly up and down Thomas's thigh. 

"Relax Tommy. Nothing to be ashamed of." Newt soothed, popping the stopper on the bottle and pouring just enough onto his palm to coat his fingers before capping the bottle and setting it aside. "I'm going to go slow, it won't hurt as much that way." Newt placed a soft kiss to Thomas's bicep before placing a single finger against Thomas's entrance. When he looked up Thomas gave him a nervous nod and he pressed his finger inside. He gave Thomas a moment to adjust to the feeling and Thomas squirmed the slightest bit. It didn't hurt but it didn't feel good either, it was just...odd. 

Newt slowly began to move his finger, in and out, in and out, until he decided that Thomas could handle another and pressed in a second one. Thomas moaned quietly, and Newt smiled to himself, feeling around for that little spot that had felt so incredible his first time. Thomas let out a loud moan, his hips rocking up into thin air and Newt smiled in victory: he'd found it. Newt moved his fingers over that spot, again and again, leaving Thomas whimpering and moaning and he hardly noticed when Newt added a third finger. 

"Please, Newt. Please. I need you. Please." Thomas begged, rocking back onto Newt's fingers, trying to get closer to the familiar heat in his stomach. 

"I've got you." Newt soothed, pulling his fingers free and leaning down to kiss Thomas softly before pulling back to reach for the bottle once more, pouring more oil onto his hand and setting the bottle on the table. Newt moved to slick himself up, giving his cock a few strokes before pressing Thomas's legs even farther apart. "Are you sure you want to do this? Your first time is usually easier if you lay on your stomach."

Thomas shook his head, "I want to see you."

Newt nodded and kissed Thomas softly as he lined himself up. He slowly pushed himself past the ring of muscle, kissing and nibbling at Thomas's lips to try and distract him from the pain that he knew he would be feeling. Thomas whimpered quietly against Newt's lips and Newt knew that it wasn't one of pleasure. Thomas's hands dug into the sheets below him, gripping at the material as his body took Newt deeper. Newt took his free hand to gently run up and down Thomas's side, trying to take away what pain he could through comforting touches as he bottomed out. "Tommy..." Newt moaned quietly, trying his best not to move because this was the most incredible feeling that Newt had ever felt. 

When Thomas's muscles finally relaxed a bit Newt moved slowly and Thomas's breath hitched. Newt pulled back slightly to start up a rhythm, a slow in and out, shifting his hips to try and hit the spot he'd found earlier with his fingers. 

Thomas was staring up at Newt with wide eyes, dazed by the fact that Newt was so close to him. Newt was inside of him, sharing the most intimate parts of himself, and Thomas felt his throat tighten a little. "Newt..." Thomas breathed, unable to find the words he wanted for what he was feeling. Newt smiled softly down at Thomas, a little dazed himself. "Yeah...bloody hell."

"More..." Thomas pleaded, his hands coming up to wrap around Newt's neck. Newt nodded, speeding up his thrusts and shifting his hips until he'd found that spot he knew Thomas loved. "Oh fuck. Newt!"

Newt let out a moan as Thomas clenched around him, watching as the brunette's back arched deliciously and his eyelids fluttered shut. "Oh god. Newt, I...I can't...too much." 

Newt knew Thomas wasn't going to last long, not with it being his first time, and Newt wasn't much better for wear. It had been years since his first,and only, time and his hand didn't exactly compare to this. This wasn't just friction or a means to an end, this was heat and fire and passion and he was so close to Thomas that he could swear he could feel the other boy's soul. "I know. Me either. Just let go, Tommy. Enjoy it."

Newt leaned down to nip at Thomas's earlobe and Thomas let out a loud moan, rocking his hips up to meet Newt's thrusts, his fingernails digging into the skin of Newt's shoulder blades. It didn't take too many more thrusts for Thomas to lose control. He was drowning in hot white pleasure and the only thing in his brain could comprehend was one word: Newt. Thoms didn't even have time to warm Newt before he was cumming, whimpering Newt's name loudly as he did so. 

Newt gasped when Thomas came, the sight was more beautiful than anything he'd ever seen, like an angel, and that mixed with the feeling of Thomas clenching around his cock sent him over the edge. Newt moaned as he came, fucking Thomas through his orgasm before he collapsed on top of the prince, trying to catch his breath. 

"Wow..." Thomas breathed, looked up at Newt with stunned eyes. Newt chuckled softly, gently sliding free and smiling down at Thomas. 

"Was that okay?" Newt asked softly, moving a shaky arm to brush Thomas's hair from his forehead. 

Thomas grinned up at Newt, reaching up to brush Newt's sweaty hair from his eyes. "That was amazing. I could never have imagined something so incredible."

Newt's cheeks tinted pink and he smiled softly, "I'm very glad you think so. I've never....I've never done that before."

Thomas leaned up to place a soft kiss on Newt's nose. "I couldn't tell. That was perfect. You were perfect."

Newt smiled, reaching to the floor to grab Thomas's discarded shirt and gently wiped Thomas off with it. Newt was being so tender that Thomas wasn't sure he could handle it, his chest tightening in a way he'd never felt before. "So were you."

He tossed the soiled shirt away, turned back to Thomas and smiled down at him, propping himself up on one elbow. Thomas smiled and leaned up to kiss Newt softly before pulling him down to the mattress. Newt snuggled into Thomas's arms, nuzzling his nose against Thomas's neck. The heat of their overworked bodies keeping them warm in the cool night air. Thomas didn't need to ask Newt to stay and Newt didn't need to ask if it was okay, they both fell asleep, tangled up in each other's arms.  
.....  
Thomas was waking from a very wonderful dream. Everything around him was warm, he was swimming in a beautiful deep amber color, a river of pure relaxation and he welcomed its warmth. Thomas had never felt so happy, so relaxed and boneless-that was until he shifted and he felt a stabbing pain in his ass. 

"Hey, shuck face. You're late for breakfast and don't think you're getting out of going to that robe fitting today. I will drag you kicking and screaming if I-Holy shite!" Minho's eyes widened as he took in the two forms intertwined on the Prince's bed, his mouth hanging open slightly. Thomas's eyes widened as he realized what was going on and he quickly covered them with the covers, blushing a dark red that could rival the color of his drapery. 

Newt blinked awake at Minho's loud voice, looking around in confusion as the world came into focus. When he saw What Thomas was looking at he smirked a little, wrapping his arm a little tighter around Thomas's waist. "Shut your mouth before you catch flies in it. And please, close the door behind you, I don't think Thomas wants to share his body with the entire castle."

Thomas blinked again, this time at the fact that Newt wasn't blushing and hiding, in fact, he was giving Minho a taste of his own medicine: Thomas was suddenly a bit turned on. 

"Shank. I wasn't expecting to come to wake Thomas for breakfast to find that my best friend and my best nuisance had shacked up."

"Min!" Thomas scolded though the blush was still firmly in place. "Don't insult him."

"Since when is best friend an insult? You're the nuisance." Minho winked Thomas's way and Thomas rolled his eyes, Newt grinned at the pair and shook his head. 

"So...how was is?"

"MINHO!" Thomas's eyes went even wider and Minho and Newt laughed, Minho throwing his head back and shaking it like Thomas was the funniest thing he'd ever seen. 

"You're going to tell me. And if you don't, I'm sure I'll get it out of this one." Minho pointed to Newt, who threw his hands up in surrender, seemingly unshaken that Minho had just seen the pair of them naked. It was an interesting change of pace and one that Thomas would ask Newt about later when Minho wasn't standing three feet away.

"You don't have to tell him anything." Thomas promised Newt, though he was glaring at Minho. 

Minho raised his eyebrows and turned to grin at Newt, "Oh, yes you do." 

Newt groaned, rubbing at his eyes, "Really? The pair of ya, buggin' nutters." Newt shook his head with a sigh. "Fine. It was bloody brilliant. That's all the details you're getting."

Newt ran a hand through his hair, messing it up in slight frustration and Thomas would have inwardly gushed about how cute he looked; if he wasn't so mad at Minho.

"Who topped?" Minho grinned, "My money is on Thomas." 

A pillow flying towards Minho's head told him just how Thomas felt about that one.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So originally I had planned for Newt to bottom, but then this just started to happen organically and you can't stop two characters and tell them they're doing it wrong because they know better than the writer does how they feel. I know this chapter was pretty much just smut but sometimes you can find out a character's true emotions better during smut than a fight scene or even a long monologue, and I think we found out some very interesting things about our boys in this chapter. This is probably the most detailed smut I've ever written and I tried my best to make sure it was realistic so here's to hoping it came across well! Until next time!


	4. Bring Me Closer

Breakfast had been a strange occasion, filled with blushing smiles between Newt and Thomas, confused looks from Sonya and knowing smirks from Minho. Thomas's father seemed completely blind to the whole thing and Thomas wasn't sure if his mind was elsewhere or if he was just trying not to think about what must have happened the night before. 

Thomas had been whisked away directly after breakfast to go over a treaty that his father had been working on. Though it wasn't Thomas's turn to rule his father insist on making sure he was up to speed and constantly doing his royal duties so that he was prepared and while Thomas was thankful for that mindset he was also a little frustrated that he wouldn't be able to talk to Newt for a few more hours. 

Those few hours spent going over laws and loopholes ticked by slowly, too slowly for Thomas's liking and when they were finally over Thomas stood with lightening speed to go find Newt but his father stopped him. 

"Thomas, we may be finished with the treaty but our time together is not."

Thomas held back a sigh as he sat down, waiting for his father to speak what was on his mind. 

"I know we've been planning the joyous day for you and Sonya but I want to push the date up. The kingdom is on pins and needles waiting for the big day and with so much negative news coming in from some of our allies a good moral boost would serve us well."

Thomas tried not to scoff, was his father really more concerned about the kingdom's moral than his own son's happiness? Thomas knew that things had been a bit strained between some of the royal families, some kingdom's falling on famine and some at war with neighboring kingdom's but Thomas didn't think that a wedding would fix any of that, if anything is was a grand extravagance that took money away from doing something to help.

 

The king sighed, acting as if he were scolding a small child for doing something they weren't supposed to and had been told not to do before. "Don't give me that look. You're set to marry, what does the time difference make? You and I both know you're not doing this because you care about the girl." 

 

"Maybe not in the way you want but I do care for her. She's my best friend, aside from Minho, and I don't want her to be used as some sort of bargaining chip."

"Thomas, you're going to be king soon and being the king means that you have to use what your have to your best advantage."

"Not people. You never have to use people." Thomas huffed, crossing his arms and the King shook his head. 

"People can be just as useful as good's."

"People are not meant to be used for your personal gain." Thomas stood, pushing his chair away from the table. "If you want to move the wedding up then so be it, it's not like I can stop the king from doing what he wants, but when I become king, I will not be following your example on how to treat people."

Thomas marched out, ignoring his father's calls, slamming the door to the King's study behind him.   
***  
Newt had been sitting out in the garden's, sketch book in hand, drawing every detail of the flowers that were blooming all around him. Newt had never seen such beauty, so many colors all together in one place, complimenting each other instead of battling for dominance. Newt wouldn't say he had many talents, he knew how to work and how to treat people, but drawing was something he did well an it was his own little outlet to relieve stress or express happiness. Today Newt was expressing his happiness...and his confusion. 

Newt had come to realize his feelings for Thomas, he liked Thomas, he liked Thomas a lot, but he was scared. Newt had only liked one person in his life and that had ended so horribly that he'd been left with a permenant limp and a broken heart. Newt knew that he was safe from his father in the palace walls but that didn't stop him from worrying about the dozen other things that could go wrong. Newt had never been in a relationship before and though he'd read stories and seen happy couples in the town's shops the idea was so foreign to him that he didn't know where to start. A frustrated voice broke him from his thoughts and Newt's eyes widened slightly at the muderous look on the intruders face. 

"My father is shite."

By the time Thomas found Newt he was so furious he was sure his entire face was red and as he saw newt's own reaction to his face he was now sure of that fact. He sat down on the bench beside Newt with a huff. 

"He sees your sister as some sort of bargianing chip. He wants to push the wedding closer so that the other kingdom's will have something nice to think about." Thomas rolled his eyes before glaring at the ground. "Because obviously forcing two people to get married, who don't even like the other, is something good."

Newt was caught a little off guard by Thomas's rant, reaching out hesitantly to pat the other boy awkwardly on the back. Newt's instincts told him to reach out for the boy but he couldn't gather the curouage to do so.

"I can't say I like the idea, but I can't argue with your father either. You both agreed to this and really, it's not like it matters if you get married now or in five years, you're still never going to truly be married to her. Might as well get the ordeal over with so that you can forget about it."

Thomas wanted to be mad at Newt, to tell him how wrong he was, but his words made a lot more sense than his father's had, even if they were almost the same words. Newt had a logical side to him that Thomas lacked, and Newt knew exactly how to explain things so that they made sense. 

"I just...hate that he dosn't care. He didn't even ask me how I would feel about it, or how Sonya would feel, he just said he was going to do it."

"He dosn't exactly seem the type to care about feelings." Newt said quietly, giving Thomas's shoulder a gentle squeeze before letting go, just in case any of Thomas's guards were following him. As always Minho was watching from the corner but he was giving them enough space so that he couldn't hear anything and Newt gave him a thankfull smile from where he sat. 

"I don't even want to talk about it right now." Thomas muttered, staring down at the grass beneath his shoes and Newt gave him a small smile. 

"Then don't. There are plenty of other things to talk about." Newt set his sketch book to the side, focusing his complete attention on Thomas. 

"Like last night?" Thomas asked quietly, looking searchingly up at newt. Thomas still wasn't sure how the boy felt about what they'd done. He'd told Thomas he'd liked him, sure, but did that mean last night wasn't a one-time thing? Did newt want a relationship of sorts? Or was Thomas just a distraction from the pain of his past?

"Like last night." Newt echoed, rubbing awkwardly at the back of his neck, his eyes darting around to make sure no one besides Minho was near them, but thankfully the garden's were empty. 

"Minho...Minho told me before this whole thing started, before all those girls were brought to the palace, that I should pick someone I could stand to be around and then find a lover to keep around." Thomas tried not to betray anything in his voice as he got his thoughts together. "At the time the idea sounded great but now...now I'm not so sure."

Newt's eyebrows furrowed as he looked at Thomas, did this mean the other boy was not interested? Had last night not been what the prince had been hoping for? Maybe he hadn't been good enough and now Thomas was having second thoughts; before Newt could speak Thomas went on. 

"I've always been a bit of a romantic, I think. I don't like the idea of having someone on the side just to keep my bed warm. It's a very French thing and I've never been one for it. I don't think people should be used like toys." Thomas picked at his trousers, "I...I like you, Newt." Thomas looked up at Newt nervously, "I didn't get a chance to say it last night but I like you too. I...I don't want this to be something where I call you only in the dead of night when I need some release." Thomas's cheeks colored slight as he went on,"I want this to be something bigger, something special; even if that means hiding it to insure that we can have that, I am willing to do so."

Newt stayed silent, trying to process what Thomas was saying. 

"But I need to know how you feel. If that's not what you want, if you don't want to be a secret I can understand. If you don't want to talk to me after this I'll understand that too. I just...I need to know how you feel."

Newt stared at Thomas for a moment, trying to get his thoughts in order. Newt had been sure that Thomas would be the one to tell him that last night had been a one-time thing, to freak out and decide that Newt was too damaged to bother with. Newt had a lot of baggage and he wasn't exactly pysically perfect. He hadn't expected Thomas to feel the same. 

"I like you too, Tommy." Newt started quietly, looking down into his own lap out of nervousness. "Last night was brilliant, truly brilliant, and I don't want that to be the only time I get to have that with you." Newt paused for a moment, "I...I don't know what I'm doing, Tommy. I've never properly been with anyone before, not in that way. I want to do it right but I don't know where to begin. But... If you'll have me, I want to learn with you."

Newt looked up at Thomas nervously and found Thomas to be grinning widely at him. Thomas moved to place his hand on top of Newt's, gently stroking the back of his hand as Newt blushed. 

"Then I guess that settles it. I, Prince Thomas of Paradon, will be courting Duke Newt of England. With his permission of course." Thomas's eyes crinkled at the sides, showing his happiness to the taller blonde who smiled right back. 

"I think he would happily accept."   
*******  
"You can't be serious." Newt crossed his arms and raised his eyebrows in defiance, and though Thomas knew he was serious he couldn't help but think of Newt as looking like a petulant child. 

"It's just better! Vanilla is a wonderful flavor! Chocolate is alright but Vanilla is just...better."

Newt shook his head, "I stand by chocolate. It's good on everything, fruit, cake...people..."

Thomas raised his eyebrows, a smirk sneaking across his lips as he stared at Newt. 

"I'm guessing. I wouldn't know for sure." Newt added, blushing slightly as he moved to sit in the chair opposite Thomas. 

Both boys were relaxing in the safety of Thomas's room, a game of checkers set on the table before them though it was really just busy work for their hands as they talked. Thomas opted to have Newt in his quaters as often as possible and he'd already entertained the idea of knocking out a wall to the suite beside his own to allow Newt to stay closer; but he'd been too nervous to propse the idea and he already knew that newt would start saying how obvious that would be. 

"We could find out." Thomas's smirk widened as he wiggled his eyebrows at Newt who rolled his eyes but cracked a smirk of his own. 

"Just make a bloody move already. I'm sick of waiting for his royal highness to choose which piece to move."

Thomas chuckled but moved one of his pieces, "Check mate."

"This is not chess, bloody hell."  
**************  
Months passed and before Thomas knew it, it was the eve of his wedding. Thomas had been suffering through the planning for so long he could hardly remember a time when his every waking moment wasn't full of cake flavors, tailors and plans for the big day. His wedding robes had been hung in his wardobe, ready for tomorrow's festivites and his special shoes had been made to match. Minho would be drawing him a bath the first thing in the moring and he'd have his own team of palace hands to dress and ready him when the time came.

Tomorrow the palace grounds would be full of guests from all over the kingdom and neighboring kingdoms, coming together to celebrate the prince and (future) princesses happiness- though their celebration would be in vein. 

Thomas knew that this charade would need to be kept up throughout the rest of his life but once tomorrow was over the public appaerences would be far less and that meant he could finally relax a little. The week he'd been given off for his honeymoon away from the palace, at their royal lake, he'd already planned to spend with Newt. They'd leave Sonya behind at the castle to spend time with her lover, Felicity, and they would make a getaway to the lake together, giving each set of couples time alone.

Tonight, however, Thomas was focusing on the here and now. Thomas and Newt were lounging together on Thomas's bed, wearing matching night clothes and chuckling with each other over silly little things. Both boys were leaning back against the pillows, their sides pressed together as they stared up at the canopy of Thomas's bed in the firelight. 

"You know, technically this is your bachlor party. Your last night as a single man before you're tied down forever." Newt teased, elbowing Thomas playfully. 

"Well, good thing the one I really have my eye on dosn't care about my marital status." Thomas teased back, turning his head to smile at Newt.

"An adulterer? For shame, his highness being so devious." Newt's face scrunched up in happiness, enjoying their little moment. Things were easy with Thoas, comfortable in a way that Newt had only been able to dream about until now.

"The King's wife and the King's boyfriend. Classy." Thomas teased, shaking his head gently. 

Newt shook his head with a grin, closing his eyes for a moment as he just enjoyed having Thomas close. It was a few moments of peaceful silence before Thomas spoke. 

"I'm going to be married tomorrow." The reality hit him like a ton of bricks. Thomas knew he wouldn't be allowed to marry the one he truly cared for, but that didn't make tomorrow seem any less real. Even if neither party saw it as so, it was still a legal contract and he was still to be legally married. He would be Sony's husband for the rest of hif life, whether they abided by it or not.

"To my sister. I guess that means you're dating your brother-in law." Newt made a face before chuckling to himself. 

"It's going to be a bit hard to explain that one. I married his sister but I love him. It's complicated." Thomas laughed and turned to smile at Newt who was staring at him with wide eyes, his mouth making a little o. 

"What?" Thomas' seyebrows drew together as he tried to figure out why Newt looked so surprised and then it hit him and his eyes widened as he realized what he'd said, "Newt, I-"

"Don't you dare bloody take it back." Newt looked Thomas in the eyes, there was a fireceness there that Thomas hadn't seen before. "Because I love you too."

Thomas's eyes went impossibly wider before his face broke out into a large grin. Thomas pulled Newt closer and kissed him chasetly, before pulling back to simply smile at Newt. Newt returned the smile, content to just be happy for a moment before he frowned a bit, sudden insecurity swirling in his stomach. "I have to be front and center tomorrow. I have to watch you kiss my sister and fake like you love her. I have to watch you marry her, even if neither of you care, It's still a law and she's still going to be your wife."

Newt wasn't sure what he was trying to get at, his thoughts were a big ball of tangled webs. On one hand he was thrilled that Thomas loved him, on the other the thought of Thomas being married to someone else and not to him made everything in him hurt. Newt knew it was a long shot to ever dare to dream of ending up with someone completely and honestly, in this kingdom it just wasn't possible, which is why he had always been realstic and told himself not to think on it; but that didn't stop Newt from feeling the pang in his chest in realizing fully that he would never have that. Until now the idea had been a fantasy, an 'if', but now he loved someone who loved him back and that if wasn't as easy to brush off. Thomas seemed to pick up on how Newt was feeling and moved to lay his body on top of Newt's, placing an arm on either side of Newt's head. 

"Yes, she is, but I don't love her. The whole thing is just a formality and while it might be legal, it holds no value to me. You are the one I love and you are the one I'm going to be thinking about tomorrow."

Newt bit his lip, "Tommy..."

"I won't blame you if you leave early. I know my father is going to try and milk this for all it's worth and I don't want you to have to sit through it if you can't. I'd much rather be saying those words to you tomorrow. I'd rather be dancing with you and hoding your and. And once it's all over I'll come right back here and we'll spend all night in bed together before we leave for the lake." 

Thomas smiled a bit, his eyes teasing Newt to try and get him to relax. Thomas's hand moved to gently thread through Newt's hair, playing with the strands there. 

"You're mine and I am yours." Thomas leaned down to place a soft kiss on Newt's forehead. Newt nodded slowly, moving to kiss Thomas's lips gently before pulling away. Newt didn't always have a lot of words, Newt spoke more in his actions and his body launge. It was something that had been new to Thomas at first but as time went on he found easier and easier to pick up on. A 'thanks' or a 'i like you' could easily translate to a kiss, just as a 'leave me alone' or an 'I don't want to talk' could be translated to crossed arms. 

"I'm yours." Newt agreed, his voice filled with an emotion Thomas couldn't place. Newt's eyes were making a decleration at the same time they looked unsure and desperate and everything in Thomas ached to make everything okay for the blonde. 

"I'm going to show you how much I love you." Thomas leaned down to kiss Newt's cheek softly before moving to whisper in his ear. "Tomorrow I won't be thinking about Sonya, I'll be thinking about you and the night I spent tangled up in the sheets with my true love." 

Newt's eyes grew darker with desire at Thomas's words and before Newt could say anything in repsonse Thomas moved to kiss him. Newt responded immediatly, their tongues battling for dominance but Newt gave in easily and Thomas smirked inwwardly at the realization. Thomas began to trail kisses down to Newt's neck, stopping there to kiss and suck at the skin. Newt's eyelids fluttered shut and he let out a little moan, his hands moving to tangle in Thomas's dark strands. 

Though it wasn't as often as they wanted,Newt and Thomas had spent a great deal of Thomas's free time finding out what the other liked. Newt found out that Thomas loved it when he ran his nails down Thomas's back and he loved to be the little spoon when he was exhuasted or had a bad day. Newt found that he loved Thomas's hands playing with his hair, a thing that could either completely relax him or turn him on depending on his mood, but even worse was the neck kissing. Thomas and Newt had been cuddling one night, exchanging quiet conversation about everything and nothing when Thomas had placed a soft kiss on Newt's neck, pulling a shiver from the blonde. It hadn't taken thomas but a few moments to realize just how much Newt liked the feeling and he'd managed to bring Newt to an orgasm with nothing but neck kisses and what little friction Newt got from pressing against Thomas's palm. 

Ever since that night Thomas had been using the little bit of info against Newt, randomly kissing his neck to catch Newt off guard when the guards weren't looking, only to get a glare from the other boy. Now however, that infomation was being used and happily recieved. 

Thomas reached down to pull Newt's sleep shirt over his head, tossing it to the side and Newt watsed no time in grabbing for Thomas's, the brunette's shirt quicly joining his on the floor. Lips were back on Newt's neck in seconds and Newt rolled his head to the side to give Thomas better access. 

"Tommy..."

Thomas knew that Newt wasn't actually trying to say anything, Newt had a habit of mumbling Thomas's name like he had a question when he didn't or when he couldn't find the words he wanted. Thomas always gave him time to figure it out instead of interuptting, unless he knew what Newt wanted. 

Thomas ran his hand down Newt's chest, down past his belly button, until he reached the buldge in Newt's sleep pants. Thomas palmed him through the fabric and Newt moaned again, his back arching up just slightly to try and gain more friction. Thomas pulled back slightly to take in the picture before him. Newt's eyes were closed and his mouth was slightly parted in pleasure, his bare chest was rising and falling a little faster than usual and his cheeks were a bit flushed-and to Thomas it was the most breath taking sight to behold.

"You're beautiful like this." Thomas muttered quietly, his eyes watching as he palmed him again. 

"Tommy, Please."Newt's eyes opened enought o stare up at Thomas with hodded lids, his eyes dark ."I need to know that you're here. I need to know that I'm yours Please, tommy, Please." Newt whimpered, his hips rocking up towards Thomas's hands as his eyelids fluttered shut once more. 

"Shhhhh, I've got you." Thomas said softly, leaning down to kiss Newt's lips gently before pulling away to remove Newt's pants, taking off his own only seconds later. Thomas's lips went back to Newt's neck, placing soft kisses on the skin there as his hand reached for the bottle of oil that was on his bedside table. In the beggining Newt was the one leading their bedroom activities, mostly because he knew more than Thomas did about such things, but as time went on Newt started to let Thomas take the lead and Thomas found that while he loved getting fucked, the image of Newt completely open and enjoying himself underneath Thomas was something he loved even more. 

Thomas made quick work of coating his fingers in oil and prepping Newt, his lips never ending their assult on Newt's neck. Newt was letting moans slip past his lips left and right, his body desperate for his other half. Newt started to whimper again and Thomas knew that Newt was ready. "Hey, It's okay. I'm right here." Thomas kissed Newt's neck softly as he slid inside of the other boy. 

Newt tensed a bit at the pain and Thomas was quick to reach up to play with Newt's hair and he quickly relaxed under Thomas's touch. Thomas smiled against the skin of Newt's neck before pulling back to thrust his hips. Moans were drawn from both boys as thomas began to move, Newt's breath catching in his throat and Thomas's fingers digging into Newt's hips. 

"You are mine. I love you." Thomas leaned down to nip at Newt's neck, sucking a mark into the delicate skin. "And tomorrow anyone who looks will see a hint of this mark above your collar and know that you are taken. I will be up there thinking of you and what we did tonight."

Newt moaned loudly, his head completely dopping back as his back arched, his hands wrapping around Thomas to dig his nails into his boyfriend's back. "Tommy. Bloody hell."

Thomas moaned, shifting his hips to try and hit that spot inside of Newt that sent him wild. Thomas had never known he had a thing for accents until Newt but every time Newt spoke Thomas felt hot all over, especially during sex.

"God, you're amazing. Shite." Thomas moved his lips, biting down in a new spot and Newt's back arched so hard Thomas thought it might break. 

"Please, please Tommy. I'm so close. Please." Newt was whimpering and clinging onto Thomas for dear life and Thomas couldn't deny Newt's wishes. Thomas reached down to take Newt in his hand, running his thumb over Newt's slit before he started to stroke Newt int ime with his thrusts. It didn't take long for the sensations to overwhelmm the blonde and he came with a scream, his back arching violently, his eyes screwed shut. Thomas worked Newt through his orgasm, falling over the edge only moments later.   
When Thomas finally foun the strenght to pull out and slide his weight off of Newt he felt like jelly. Newt immiedtly moved to pull Thomas close, slipping his arms around the shorter boy, burying nose in thomas' hair. "I love you, Tommy."

"I love you too."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this chapter didn't have a TON of plot but it does set up some important things coming up (and really, when does anyone ever complain about a little extra smut? ;)). Soon you guys will get to meet Felicity and get some agnst thrown your way! Huzzah!


	5. With this ring

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is a little shorter than the others, mostly because the following chapters are going to be so long and I'm exhausted from working 2 jobs with a lot o hours this week. I'll probably be updating again before the week is over, with a fairly big chapter. As always, this is unbetaed.

Thomas had pictured his wedding day once or twice. He didn't think on it often, unlike so many of the others int he kingdom, but he knew that he was supposed to feel happy and excited- not nervous and sick to his stomach. Thomas tried to calm his nerves by thinking back to that morning.

_Thomas awoke to the sun shining through the window and Newt sleeping silently beside him. Thomas took a moment to smile to himself as he watched Newt sleep, the sun that shone through Newt's hair made it look as if Newt were an angel and the gentle rise and fall of his chest let Thomas know that New was relaxed and far away from planet earth, lost in his own little dream world. His face was so peaceful it almost made Thomas's heart hurt look at him and he look angelic._

_It's not that Thomas had never noticed Newt's beauty before, because he had, quite often, it was that it was all hitting him like a ton of bricks. The night before had been such an intense one and Thomas had never felt so raw and vulnerable before. Thomas didn't open up much, information was the biggest weapon in the kingdom and the wrong thing being found out by_ the _wrong person could cause the_ entire _kingdom to crumble, so sharing something so personal with Newt was new for him. It didn't scare him quite like he thought it would, in_ fact _he liked sharing things with Newt, it meant Newt was special to him. He was special enough that Thomas trusted Newt with his life and all of that had been out in the open last night and Thomas had passed out immediately after their coupling, completely exhausted._

Thomas felt more relaxed as soon as he thought of Newt, smoothing his wedding clothes to try and remind himself that what he was about to do was a show and didn't mean anything. Newt understood and so did Sonya.

Since Thomas didn't have any siblings and Minho had to work Newt was Thomas's best man and Sonya's lover, Felicity, was the maid of honor. It really was a strange situation when Thomas thought about it and one that made his head swim, so he tried to ignore it and focus on getting through what was sure to be a very long day.

"Well, don't you look handsome, your majesty." Minho had been following Thomas on his walk to the great hall and now that they had reached their destination he knew he had a moment to speak, though he kept the title on his lips in case anyone was listening. "Trying to impress someone?"

Thomas grinned but shook his head at Minho's teasing smirk, "It is a wedding after all."

"Right, that's why you're smiling so widely, it's pre-wedding excitement." Minho snorted, "You go laid last night."

Thomas's cheeks colored and he shook his head, "I did not. That's none of your business anyway."

Minho chuckled, shaking his head with a knowing grin, "You're lucky I kept that hallway clear last night. I could hear you the whole way down the corridor."

Thomas's eyes widened and Minho laughed wholeheartedly, "Busted. If it makes you feel any better, you two sounded pretty good. Who took it up the ass?"

Thomas groaned, "Shut up. Seriously, just shut up."

Minho laughed just as Newt walked up, a questioning look on his face as he looked from Thomas's red face to Minho's amused eyes. "What did I miss?"

"Nothing at all. Thomas here is just too shy to share details from last night."

Newt shook his head with a smile, "If you really wanted to know you should have just asked me." Newt teased, smiling wider when Thomas's mouth fell open in horror. Newt loved how scandalized Thomas could be about their sex lives, and he wasted no opportunity to make Thomas blush, especially if MInho was involved. 

"Maybe I'll do that. I'm guessing by the amount of purple I see on your neck that it was Thomas."

Newt smirked, crossing his arms, "Two points for the house of Minho."

"I knew it!" Minho grinned and reached out to give Newt a fist bump. Thomas was hiding his face in his hands and shaking his head back and forth. Thomas would never understand how his friends could be so open about something so intimate. 

"Both of you, just slim it. Please."

The other boys laughed and Newt gave Thomas a pat on the back, "Relax. I'm not going to tell him all the bloody details. Focus on Sonya. You've got a long day to get through."

Thomas nodded, refusing to look Minho in the eyes. Newt smiled and glanced around to make sure no one was looking before he wrapped his arm around Thomas and whispered in his ear, "You look beautiful."

Newt didn't give Thomas a chance to reply before he turned to enter the great hall.   
*****  
Thomas was nervously standing at the alter, trying his best not to fidget too much but it was a losing battle. Felicity was sending him reassuring smiles from her place near the altar and Thomas managed a small smile back. Just as the music struck up Thomas's head whipped towards the doors and he was just in time to see Sonya.

Thomas was gay, very much so, but Sonya looked absolutely breathtaking. She was dressed in a gorgeous white gown that fit her perfectly, the wide neckline showed off her collarbone and a hint of cleavage and the tight waist showed off her trim figure. She seemed to float, the long train trailing behind her as she began to walk towards Thomas. She was smiling and Thomas couldn't help but smile back because Sonya was glowing. Thomas knew that Sonya had never been pampered like she had been at the palace and it showed just how relaxed she was. Everything about her oozed beauty and Thomas wasn't the only one who seemed to think so.

  
Around him he could hear quiet gasps and 'oooh's from the crowd, but none caught Thomas's attention like Felicity's. Felicity had a kinda spirit about her, not quiet as spunky as Sonya but she still had a spark there, and she could be pretty scary when she was mad. While Sonya would deal with matters politely, Felicity was more likely to tell it like it was and Thomas had teased her a ew times, saying that her firey red hair told the story of what her soul was like. Usually the girl's face held a small smile and calculating eyes but right now her eyes were wide and her mouth was open a little, watching Sonya come down the aisle.

Thomas smiled at Felicity and gave her a little wink before turning back to Sonya just as she reached the altar. Thomas smiled and reached out for her, taking her hands in his own and smiling widely at her. "You look absolutely stunning."

Sonya blushed and ducked her head a little, "So do you." She smiled, glancing over Thomas's shoulder before she leaned closer to whisper in his ear, "You should see Newt's face right now."

Thomas didn't dare to turn to look, he just chuckled and kissed the top of her forehead, trying to keep up the act while showing thankfulness for checking in on Newt. 

The vows seemed to breeze by and before Thomas knew it the rings had been exchanged and he was being told to kiss the bride. Sonya blushed and moved forward as Thomas took her veil off, both of them communicating with their eyes how silly and awkward this would be, before they both leaned in. It wasn't like kissing Newt, there was no fire and no passion, Thomas didn't want to bring Sonya closer or make this last any longer than it had to, it was just a kiss between friends.

The crowd went wild, applause and cheering filled the room and Thomas pulled back with a smile, trying not to show how absolutely non-affecting the kiss had been. As Thomas lead Sonya down the isle all he could think about was if Newt was behind them and if it had been as awkward watching Thomas kiss his sister as it was for Thomas to know that Newt had watched the whole thing.   
****  
"Do I get one of those too?" Sonya teased as she reached up to poke at Thomas's crown.

The reception had started and though they'd managed to make it through most of dinner without too much effort they knew that the second half of the party wasn't going to be as easy. They still had their first dance to get to and the cake cutting wouldn't be too far after that. Thomas had already suggested a mini-cake fight to give them an excuse to get out of the wedding early but Sonya had felt too bad about ruining her dress.

Newt was sitting to Thomas's left and Felicity to Sonya's right, both laughing and talking to the people beside them. Under the table Thomas's hand was sitting on Newt's thigh and the Blonde's foot was wrapped behind Thomas's ankle, a secret reminder that even though they weren't allowed to show, they were there for each other. 

"Probably. You're officially a princess. I'm guessing they'll be passing my mother's crown to you."

Sonya smiled softly, "You never talk about her."

Thomas gave Sonya a small, sad smile, "She died in childbirth...my birth. My father never found it in himself to re-marry after she left us."

Sonya reached up to gently give Thomas's arm a squeeze, feeling guilty for bringing the subject up. "I'm sorry."

Thomas shook his head, "I never knew her, just what people said about her. She was beautiful but that's all I know from the paintings my father has. "

Sonya nodded in understanding, not knowing what else to say. Thomas turned back to his food and took a bite of his dessert just as the royal announcers called out for their first dance. Thomas faked a smile and held out his hand, leading Sonya to the dance floor.

Sonya smiled as they came to a stop in the middle of the floor, moving to lean her head on Thomas's shoulder as they danced, giving the audience a sense that they really were a couple in love. "Isn't this how this all started? Us on a dance floor?"

Thomas could hear the teasing in her voice and he smiled as he led them through the dance, gently swaying side to side. "Maybe we need a better place to meet."

Thomas couldn't deny that Sonya was a great girl and if he had been straight he would have gone for her, but she was his best friend and nothing more. Thomas caught Newt and Felicity watching them and he offered them a small smile.   
"I'm glad that my brother found you. I've never seen him so happy."

Thomas blushed softly at her words, "I'm glad that I found him. I thought I was going to be alone for the rest of my life."

"Now you have three annoying pricks to take care of." Sonya teased and Thomas chuckled, shaking his head gently.

"Yeah I guess I do."

*******  
Thomas had never been more relieved that a party was over in his life. He was exhausted from a long day of acting and faking it and he just wanted to get in his carriage and ride off to the lake house with Newt. He'd been on his way to his room to grab a few things for the trip, Sonya, Felicity and Newt by his side when his father had stopped them in their tracks.

"Thomas, we need to have a word."

Thomas's eyes narrowed, crossing his arms as he stared at his father.

"Whatever you need to say you can say in front of them."

The king shrugged as if this didn't matter to him in the least and carried on, "I have arranged for the carriage to leave tomorrow instead of tonight. I want to be sure that your marriage is consummated and that an heir will be brought forth."

Thomas's eyes went comically wide and if he had thought to look at those beside him he would have seen mixed looks of shock and horror.

"Consummate-what are you talking about! I never agreed to that!" Thomas was yelling now but he didn't care, they were far enough away from everyone else to be overheard.

"It's what makes the marriage contract legal. The line must be continued, Thomas, and since you are an only child that lies to you. Your subjects will find it odd if the months pass and your wife is not with child."

"I don't want kids, I never have, why would you think I'd suddenly want them now? Especially with someone I don't love?" Thomas was glaring at his father who sighed and tapped his foot impatiently.

"I didn't ask what you wanted. You are soon to be the king and that means that an heir must come forward."

" What if I refuse?" Thomas's tone was low and dangerous.

"Then I behead your lover in the public square."

Thomas felt his blood run cold and he felt a body freeze behind him. Thomas immediately stepped back so that Newt was shielded from his father. Newt pressed close to Thomas and Thomas could feel Newt shaking.   
"Like hell you will."

"I am still the king, and until I am no longer in that position you will do as I say or pay the price." The king turned with a flourish of his cape, "I expect the both of you to be in the honeymoon suite within the hour."

Thomas could feel himself shaking, though unlike Newt it wasn't in fear it was in rage. His own father was going to force Thomas to have sex with someone he wasn't attracted to, someone who wasn't attracted to him, all so that his father could continue the crown's lineage and Thomas couldn't stop it.

"Thomas..." The voice pulled Thomas's attention away from where he'd be staring at the spot his father had stood in just a moment earlier and he turned to look at Sonya.

He expected tears or fear but instead he just found a sad smile and determination. "It's one night. It might not be enjoyable but it will appease your father and save my brother's life."

Thomas swallowed hard, wanting so badly to say no and to reject his father but he knew that he couldn't, not i he wanted to save newt.

"I've always wanted a child." Felicity's voice came softly from behind Sonya and Thomas looked at her with wide eyes.

"Sonya and I have talked about it before but we never had a safe place for one but now...maybe we do."

Thomas was blinking at Felicity like she'd lost her mind but those words seemed to calm Sonya who smiled at her lover and brought her close.

"She's right you know. I know you don't want a child but we do, and though it might, be earlier than we'd hoped, at least the father will be someone we know."

Thomas couldn't understand how these two were so calm about the whole situation and Thomas turned to Newt as if to beg for some sort of help, even though Newt was just as powerless as him.

"I...I think they're right Tommy." _What the shuck._ "I can't say I'm too surprised, with what your father has made you do so far, I just don't have to like it. Sonya has always wanted a little girl of her own and I'd rather it be you that gives that to her than a stranger."

Thomas was looking between all three of them as if they'd lost their mind. His head hurt from the sheer emotional overload he was in and he couldn't help it if he needed a moment to think.

"I...I can't believe he's making us do this." Thomas's voice was quiet and Newt moved forward to take Thomas's hand.

"I'll meet you up there in fifteen minutes. Go pack." Sonya gently patted Thomas on the shoulder and he nodded, moving away from his friends to head back towards his room, Newt by his side. 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So originally I was going to have them wait a bit for this whole thing with the king to go down, but it made more sense for it to happen now and sets up the rest of the fic wonderfully. It's not my favorite chapter but I'm hoping that you guys still enjoyed it!


	6. Just Get Through The Night

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please be warned that this chapter contains conversations about non-consensual sex. And a ton of angst. As always, this is unbeated.

 

 

The second the door closed to Thomas's chamber, all pretenses seemed to fall away, there was no need for calm facades anymore. Thomas pulled his hand away from Newt's to pace the room, running a hand roughly through his hair as he tried to gather his thoughts, frustration rolling off of him in waves. Newt stayed quiet, not daring to move when Thomas was so on edge. Thomas had a habit of getting frustrated easier than Newt, taking action without thinking it through, while Newt was the one to sit back and think it through before completely reacting. Newt was finding that the same was true in emotional situations, Thomas would be the first to jump into more extreme emotions while Newt would keep things bottled up until Thomas pinned him down or the dam broke completely. Right now Newt was keeping his emotions to himself, knowing that Thomas had more to deal with right now than he did. 

  
While Thomas was dealing with anger towards his father, worry about cheating on Newt and disgust for what he had to do, Newt was trying to push away the feeling of fear and the memory of having his life threatened. Newt knew this plan was logical, after all the royal line would have to continue, but it seemed like something that should have come up organically not forcefully. Newt could see years in the future Sonya wanting a child and Thomas being willing to help, but not like this. Not with an ultimatum and no choice in the matter. 

  
"How can my father think this a good idea?" Thomas muttered to himself angrily, "How can he think that something as vile as forcing two people into something like this is okay?" Thomas ran his hand through his hair again and Newt felt helpless from where he stood.

  
"How am I to do this?" Thomas stopped, looking up at Newt with desperate eyes. Newt had never seen so many emotions dancing in them at once: fear, anger, worry, hate but more than anything Newt saw a lost and scared man. Thomas didn't have a choice, he had to keep Newt alive and safe, but in doing so he would be forcing himself upon someone else, someone he cared about. He would be going against everything his heart was telling him. "Newt..." Thomas's voice cracked and Newt moved forward to wrap his arms around Thomas's middle, unable to stay away when Thomas sounded so broken. 

  
"You can do this, Tommy." Newt couldn't find it in himself to say that it was okay because nothing about this situation was okay and Newt would never lie to Thomas. "Just get through this and then we'll be on our way away from this place and you can forget about everything for a while. I won't leave your side."

  
Thomas nodded, though he couldn't seem to find it in himself to reply, his mind already trying to bury his feelings enough to be able to get through tonight. Newt rubbed his back before turning his head to speak soothingly in Thomas's ear. "Do what you have to do and come back for me. I'll pack everything for us and we can leave as soon as you're back here." Newt kissed Thomas's cheek softly, just resting against THomas's body for a moment. Thomas didn't reply, too lost in his thoughts, trying to store all his emotions away for later, having a break down wouldn't do him any good, not when he had so much more to get through before the night ended.

  
Newt seemed to sense Thomas's mindset and turned to press a kiss to Thomas's neck, chaste and gentle. A reassurance that he was there for Thomas. He followed with a second kiss and another, peppering kisses all along Thomas's neck. Newt's hands trailed from Thomas's back to his ass, gripping onto the flesh there. Thomas looked bewildered not sure what to make of Newt's sudden actions, he pulled back slightly to look at Newt in question, confused clear on his features.

  
"We both know you're not attracted to my sister in any way, which means if you want this to work you need to think about something else." Newt smirked a little, shoving all the emotions swirling around inside of him aside to focus on building Thomas up so that he could get this over and done with. He'd have time to think and feel later, right now making sure Thomas was taken care of was more important. Newt trailed his lips along the skin of Thomas's neck, slowly working up to the shell of his ear.

  
"Which means, I need to give you something very very enjoyable to think about." Newt breathed into Thomas's ear, his hands moving to slide under Thomas's shirt. It didn't feel right, trying to distract Thomas with something so personal, so meaningful to them both, but it was the only way to give Thomas a way to escape and to make sure that this one-time thing stayed a one-time thing. 

******  
Newt had managed to ground Thomas a little during their short time in his room but as soon as Thomas was standing alone in the middle of a grand room with the sole purpose of procreation, he found himself having a hard time not freaking out completely. He stared into the large fire in the fireplace, willing the large batch of nerves inside of himself to calm.

  
"Looks like you had some fun."

  
Thomas gave a little start at the sound of Sonya's voice, turning to meet her gaze and Thomas couldn't help but be a little out of breath. Sonya had that same presence about her that Newt did, strong and poised and beautiful in a quiet way that took you by surprise. Though she stood in only a white nightgown, the fire seemed to highlight her natural beauty, and Thomas found himself a little in awe of her beauty for the second time that day. Thomas felt no attraction to her, none at all, but her beauty was something that could be admired as one would a work of art.

  
Thomas looked a bit confused at her statement until she chuckled and took a step forward, reaching up to playfully poke at his neck. Thomas's cheeks colored and Sonya laughed, a sound far too happy for the occasion, but then again Sonya never seemed to take things with a negative outlook.

  
"Yeah, I guess I did." Thomas offered a small smile but it was horribly weak and Sonya couldn't help but give Thomas a reassuring smile in return.

  
"It will be okay, Thomas. Please, don't even think about this. Just do what needs done and let your mind go elsewhere. Unfortunately for us, it won't work if you don't get through this completely." Thomas blushed at this but he knew that Sonya was right, if he didn't want to go through this again at a later date he would need to do this correctly the first time; and that meant he'd need to orgasm, something he wasn't sure he could do with Newt's sister, even if Newt had given him several wonderful mental pictures to think about. 

  
Sonya took Thomas's hand and let him towards the bed, stopping beside it and reaching up to unhook his cape and letting it fall to the ground. Thomas took a deep breath and let his mind wander, trying desperately to let his mind drift off to thoughts of Newt.

  
*****  
All was silent in the carriage that departed from the castle, carrying just two people in its cabin. Two hands were intertwined on one of the cushioned benches and the curtains were drawn closed against the cool wind of the night air, protecting the passengers inside from the unpleasantries of the outside; but it went unnoticed because the unpleasantries inside were far worse.  Thomas was staring directly ahead, his mind replaying what he'd just been put through, what he'd just done, and though he'd spoken to Sonya after it was over and she had assured him that she wanted the father of her child to be him and that it wasn't anything that could be helped, he couldn't help but feel like this entire thing was so wrong and twisted.

  
Beside him Newt sat quietly, knowing that Thomas was trying to contain himself until they were both fully alone. Newt didn't press the issue or ask Thomas what had happened, he knew that Thomas would share when he was ready.  Though they were alone in the carriage, there was still a driver and guards close by and Newt knew Thomas wouldn't want to let out everything he was feeling with them all in earshot, not if the way he was squeezing Newt's hand gave a hint to the turmoil he was feeling. 

  
The ride seemed to take hours and as the time passed each boy seemed to grow more distressed. Newt sat perfectly still though he didn't speak and Thomas looked as if he'd just seen someone die in front of him, his eyes haunted by a heavy weight. When the carriage finally stopped, it was Newt who moved first, standing and gently tugging on Thomas's hand. Thomas seemed in a daze as he followed Newt out of the carriage and into the home, stopping only to bark an order at the guards to stay outside guarding until they were called into the house.

  
Thomas never once let go of Newt's hand, leading him up the stairs of the large lake house and down the hallway to his own room. the second the door was closed it was like the walls came crashing down and Thomas fell to his knees with a sob.  
Newt had no choice but to go to the floor with him, wrapping his arms around Thomas and holding him tightly.

"It worked. He...he made me...she...I raped her Newt. That's what t-this was. I'm a monster." Thomas's whole body was shaking violently and Newt struggled to hold on tight enough.

  
"Shhhh. You're not. It's his fault, not yours. You were forced into this too." Newt didn't realize that he was crying as well until his vision became blurry and Thomas's own form was no longer easy to see in the dim light from the candles.

  
"I should have said no. I s-should have grabded you and ran." Thomas tried to pull away from Newt's touch, though Newt knew that was the last thing that Thomas needed and he held him tighter.

  
"Your father would have sent guards to catch you and I would have be executed. You did what you had to, and you didn't do it alone. My sister could easily have said no, but she didn't. You both made a choice."

  
Thomas sobbed louder, and Newt could feel his heart breaking even more than it already was. This was no easy thing to live with and it had been thrust onto Thomas so quickly, with no time to process and now it was all catching up to him. Thomas's brain was overloading and Newt knew that Thomas was going to live with this for the rest of his life. Suddenly, Newt felt a hate for someone stronger than he ever had for his own father, and that was toward to Thomas's father for making Thomas feel like this.

  
"I love you." It was all Newt could think to say, no amount of 'it will be alright''s would make this okay, and Thomas needed to be reminded that no matter what Newt would be there for him; so Newt held him, repeating those words over and over, until Thomas had no tears left to cry and his body had given up on him, passing out in Newt's arms. "I will always love you." Newt whispered quietly as he pulled Thomas up from the floor to placed him in bed.

  
*****  
Newt tried to sleep once Thoma was tucked in, but his mind was too loud, too full of thoughts to allow himself to sleep. Newt left Thomas to sleep, making his way down to one of the rooms they'd passed on the way in. There Newt found a plush armchair near the fire and he immediately sat in it, pulling his knees up and looking out the window on the far side of the room. Newt wanted to sleep, he wanted to drift off and forget the events of the day, for the rest of his life, but no amount of sleep was going to erase what they'd been through.

  
"This is all my fault." Newt whispered quietly to himself, tears falling from his eyes as he wrapped his arms around his knees. The guilt immediately set it, if only he hadn't come with Sonya that day, if only Thomas had never met him, then maybe he wouldn't be in this situation now. "That's the stupidest thing I've ever heard you say shuckface."

  
Newt jumped, his eyes darting to where Minho stood in the doorway. "Yeah, yeah Thomas told me to stay outside, but I needed to make sure you were both still alive and besides, I don't really count when Thomas address everyone else." Minho smirked a little, moving to sit on the couch across from Newt. Minho wasn't very formal with Newt when they were away from prying eyes, just like he was with Thomas, but now in this moment he seemed even more relaxed, as if Newt and Minho had always been friends and now they were having a friendly chat.

  
"Of course not, you're special after all." Newt snarked, though his voice was void of it's usually biting snark; Newt was too tired to be able to pull much out from him.

  
Minho seemed to notice this and he gave Newt a slight smile. "It's not your fault. I know Thomas, no matter what had happened, he would be in this same situation. Except without you, he'd probably not have made it through today."

  
"You didn't see his face, Min. I've never seen him so broken...he thinks...he thinks he raped her. Bloody hell, if that's not the biggest pile of horse shite I've ever heard." Newt's voice grew frustrated. "He doesn't deserve this."

  
"No he doesn't and it's not fair to him or your sister, but it's life and shitty things happen. I've been working for Thomas's family long enough to know that being rich and royal doesn't fix your problems.Things happen and you have to deal with them and pick yourself back up." Minho stood, moving to give Newt's shoulder a squeeze.

  
"You're good for him. He couldn't make it through this without you. Don't give up on him, even when he gives up on himself and don't blame yourself. This isn't anyone's fault but his father's."

  
Minho moved to the doorway before turning to look at Newt, "I'm going to get some rest and switch out the guards shifts. I suggest you go get some rest as well."

  
Newt nodded silently and Minho began to walk towards the front door before Newt stood and followed him into the entry way. "Min?"

  
MInho stopped and turned with a question in his eyes.

  
"Thank you."

  
Minho nodded, "Anytime, Shank."  
A smiled settled on his face as he left the house and Newt made his way back upstairs.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello all! Sorry for the long wait between updates. I recently got a second job and I'm allergic to the work environment so when I come home I'm too exhausted to write (not to mention I have a migraine). The next 2 weeks are insanely packed for me, so I'm going to try my best to update again but it may be 2 weeks before another chapter is out. I promise things will be a little less angsty in future chapters!


	7. Ice and Fire

  
After Minho had left, Newt went upstairs and crawled into bed next to Thomas, Minho's words echoing in his head. Newt wouldn't give up on Thomas, not ever, but it didn't mean that what they were facing would be easy to get through or that they would escape undamaged. Newt finally exhausted himself enough to fall asleep, just shortly before sunrise. It was noon before either of the boys woke, and Newt was the first to come back into reality. Newt awoke a little dazed and confused, his entire body hurt; and it wasn't because he'd stayed up the night before wrapped up with Thomas in the sheets. The prior night came back to Newt quickly and he felt like the entire world was suddenly resting on his shoulders. 

  
Newt looked to see Thomas's sleeping form and he couldn't help but reach out to gently run his fingers through Thomas's hair, empathy rushing through his veins. Thomas had been through so much already and last night had just been one more thing that Thomas shouldn't have had to deal with. Newt had never been in his place, but he knew struggle and pain of a traumatic event and Newt didn't want Thomas to ever have to go through pain like that.

  
There was another part of Newt, a selfish part, that hated the situation for another reason. Newt was very protective of the people he cared about and while Sonya was his little sister, and he loved her dearly, Thomas was the person he loved and the thought of Thomas being in an intimate position with her and not him made Newt more than a little upset. Newt had been Thomas's first-and Newt had hoped his only, but Thomas's father had stepped in and now Newt knew that even if it wasn't Thomas's choice, Newt may not always be the only one. That thought hurt more than he'd like to admit and Newt felt himself slipping into the mindset he'd had when he originally came to the palace: lost, confused, and hurt.

  
Newt had no doubt that Thomas only viewed men in the way people expected him to view women, but that didn't mean things couldn't change. Newt had thought himself in to women at one point, and he couldn't have been more wrong, so what was to say that Thomas wouldn't find someone better? That the next time his father tried to pull something he wouldn't be swayed? Newt was the equivalent of a peasant, title or not, and his permanently scarred leg didn't exactly make him the kingdom's most desirable. Newt's thoughts were stopped from their downward spiral by a stirring Thomas, who blinked up sleepily at Newt. "Hey..."

Newt's thoughts were stopped from their downward spiral by a stirring Thomas, who blinked up sleepily at Newt. "Hey..."

  
Thomas's voice was rough from sleep and from the amount of crying he'd done the night before and Newt wanted nothing more than to pull Thomas close and take away Thomas's pain, but he resisted, unsure if Thomas needed some space. "Hey." Newt replied, his voice just as quiet, a soft weary smile on his lips.

  
The silence was a dance of sorts, each wanting to say something but not knowing what, so they stayed silent instead, Newt's fingers working through Thomas's hair and Thomas's thumb moving to gentle caress at Newt's knee. Usually their mornings in bed, rare as they were, were filled with teasing and traded kisses, but something was different and it scared Newt a little, because whatever this was it wasn't what they were used to.

  
A knock on the door almost made Newt jump out of his skin until he heard a familar voice, "Get up Shanks, I convinced the staff to make you both your favorite food for a late breakfast and if you don't get down here before it's cold I'll eat it for you."

  
"We'll be down in a moment." Thomas called, the lack of nickname or sarcastic comments clued Newt into just how off Thomas was; and Minho must have noticed too because the only repy they got was the sound of footsteps retreating down the hallway.   
****  
Newt had never seen Thomas so closed off and quiet before. Newt was used to the mask Thomas wore for his business meetings and royal events but that mask never stayed in place when the two were alone together. Usually Thomas was so open with everyone, his face almost always betraying him though Newt knew the shorter boy was working on it, but now it was like Newt was looking at a different person. He was standing outside of a castle wall, staring in and expecting to see something through the stone. 

  
Thomas sat beside Newt at breakfast, though he kept a fair distance between them, something Newt would have expected had others been present, but it being just the two of them left Newt feeling a little unsettled. He tried to ignore it, telling himself that Thomas was just processing and needed some time, but as the day went on Newt noticed more and more things that set him on edge.

  
That afternoon Thomas had suggested a game of chess and Newt had happily agreed, their games often full of teasing and trying to outwit the other as a distraction so that they could find a weak spot in the other's strategy. Thomas would usually sneak a foot up Newt's leg until Newt was squirming and snarking at Thomas for 'cheating', but today it was as if those routines were gone. Thomas stayed silent during their game and though Newt tried various times to bring forward some conversation, Thomas only gave mumbled replies.

  
By the time it was time to retire Newt was feeling...well he wasn't really sure. There was a pain in his chest he couldn't explain. The day had been void of any touches or kisses and the conversation had been slim to none and it left Newt disoriented. The boys dressed for bed together, a heavy silence settling in, and crawled under the covers together; but instead fo snuggling close like usual Thomas turned on his side, facing away from Newt and fell asleep. It was in that moment that Newt knew exactly what he was feeling:loneliness.

  
****  
The two days that followed were much the same, Newt would try to bring back the old Thomas he had been so excited to spend time with and Thomas would block his attempts. Newt would tease and flirt but nothing he tried seemed to get a response from the brunette. Newt couldn't help the pull he felt towards Thomas, it was like a moth to a flame; Newt couldn't fight it,Thomas had alway been Newt's sun, Newt revolved around the other boy and his warmth, soaking up every bit he was given. Newt was slowly watching his light fade away and with the light, Newt's own flame was starting to die out.   
***

  
By the fourth night Newt had opted out of dinner; Instead he was curled up in a tight ball in the room he shared with Thomas. Thomas was at dinner with Minho and that left Newt with a little time to himself. Newt hadn't realized just how much he'd grown to depend on Thomas, how close he'd let Thomas get, and Newt remembered why he didn't let people get close to him. People hurt you, people who were supossed to care about you could leave you broken and used, and Newt was suddenly realzing that maybe Thomas wasn't the exception to that rule.

  
As tears ran down his face newt made a decision, a decision that he would regret later.   
***

  
Over the next two days Newt went from caring and supportive to closed off and cold, his attitude mirrored Thomas's own and Minho looked so uncomfortable around them he could hardly stand to be in the same room with them. Minho had made his escape from the awkwardness that afternoon with the excuse of needing to tend to the stables, leaving Newt to deal with the strange tension himself.

  
"Why don't we go for a swim today? Get some sun and fresh air."

  
The suggestion was surprising from Thomas, seeing as he'd hardly spoken in the past week, and a few days ago Newt would have been thrilled to hear Thomas talk left alone to be suggesting things for them to do together, but now the idea of going for a swim with a silent Thomas just made him frustrated.

  
"Why? So you can ignore me in a different location? Because I don't really feel like making the walk to the lake just so you can get a change of scenery."

  
Newt's voice was harsh and cold as he stood, pushing his stool back a little harsher than necessary. Thomas's eyes widened in shock like it was the first thing he was truly registering in their entire time here. Newt didn't notice however, he was too angry, too hurt to notice the subtle change.

  
"Newt?" Thomas's voice sounded confused and Newt felt his anger bubbling to the surface as he began to pace the wooden floor of the living room. "What's wrong?"

  
Those words caused Newt to stop in his tracks, turning to glare at Thomas in a way Thomas had never seen before. Newt was always the calm one, the one who thought things through first and felt later; and right now Newt looked like an oncoming storm. He ran his fingers through his hair roughly, causing the blonde strands to stick up in every direction, his face was set in a frown and his eyes were wild. 

  
"What's wrong? What's bloody wrong? What's wrong is that you've spent the past week ignoring me. You've hardly spoken to me while we've been here and at first, I thought it was just because of what had happened with my sister and I gave you space but it just got worse! You don't even look at me half the time when you do speak to me, if you decide to speak at all!" Newt ran a hand through his hair in frustration as he began to pace once more, too worked up to stop the stream of words that were coming out of his mouth now.

  
"This was supposed to be our time, just you and me, without all the facades and responsibilities. I understand that what you went through was hard, I do, but you're not the only one who's been through shite in your life!" Newt could feel his voice wavering as he went on, his eye starting to water. "Did you realize you've not touched me in a week? I'm not even talking about sex, I'm talking about anything. You don't kiss me, you don't hold my hand, you don't even sit close to me anymore. It's like you're trying to push me as far away as possible, like...like you don't even want me anymore." Newt's voice cracked, and suddenly the anger was gone, replaced by the feeling of sheer abandonment.

  
Thomas sat in his place on the couch with a look of shock on his face, stunned into silence by Newt's rant; but when Newt began to cry Thomas's body kicked into gear, standing to move closer to Newt, who flinched back slightly.

  
"I'm just a reminder aren't I? Of what you had to do." Newt was shaking now, the idea hadn't even occurred to him until his very moment and now that it had he could feel the dread clawing it's way up his spine, trying to drag him down into the pit.

  
"No! No, Newt, never." Thomas reached up to brush away Newt's tears but they were falling faster than Thomas could make them disappear.

  
"I'm so sorry, I didn't even realize...I...I got so convinced....so scared that you would hate me for what I did...to your sister especially, and I guess subconsciously, I thought it was better to keep you away until you weren't mad anymore...until I couldn't hurt you the same way I hurt her.I never meant to make you feel like this."

  
Thomas gently wrapped his arms around Newt's shoulder and pulled him close, the blonde easily falling into the touch as a sob escaped his lips. "I love you, Newt."

  
"You could never hurt me, Tommy." Newt clung to Thomas's shirt as he spoke,"Not like that. When you touch me, especially in that way, I feel like everything is okay. It's what tells me that you care."

  
The admission felt like a weight had been lifted from Newt's shoulders. Newt had always known that he needed touch to feel cared for. With Sonya it was something he'd never really noticed, a hug or kiss on the cheek from his sister would always make him feel better and it was only after his injury that he realized that cuddling after sex made him feel almost as good as the sex itself. Newt thrived off physical affection, a hug from Thomas always made him feel safe, being held by Thomas as they cuddled up in bed made Newt feel warm and fuzzy all over and a kiss from Thomas made Newt tingle all over. On days when Newt's leg hurt Thomas would pull him into bed and play with his hair until Newt felt a little better, somehow  Thomas knew exactly what touches would help Newt relax. Newt had grown so used to the gestures that going without them was like being thrown into an ice bath and then drowning in it.

  
"This entire time I was trying to make you feel comfortable, and look at you. I'm a monster."

  
Newt shook his head violently, clinging harder to Thomas, afraid that Thomas would leave him if he didn't hold on tight enough. "You didn't know. Please, don't leave me. Please. I can do better."

  
"Why would I leave you? If anything you should be leaving me..."

  
Newt shook his head, "I'm not good enough. You deserve better. Someone who isn't so bloody needy."

  
"Newt, I'm not going anywhere. No one is better than you. It's you I chose to be here with me and it's you that I love. Not Sonya, not anyone else." Thomas tangled his fingers into Newt's hair, massaging his scalp and playing with the light strands that shown in the firelight.

  
Newt sobbed again and Thomas held him tighter, moving to gently kiss Newt's forehead, then his nose and both cheeks in turn. "I'm not going anywhere, Newt."

  
Thoms's voice was firm as he gently pulled the blonde down to the large couch, keeping Newt in his arms. He gently traced along the bit of Newt's collar bone that was exposed by his loosely strung top, his eyes looking at Newt with a new kind of adoration that made Newt's throat tighten for a whole different reason.

  
"We're going to spend the entire night on this couch, I'm going to stay right here and show you just how beautiful you are, just how much you are desired and loved. You are mine and no one will change that."

  
Newt let out a quiet sob at Thoms's words, half in relief in half in happiness as Thoms gave him exactly what he'd been needing for the past week:reassurance that he was loved.

  
Thomas gave Newt a gentle kiss on the lips before he trailed kisses down Newt's throat as his hands slid under the fabric of Newt's shirt. Newt was on sensory overload, the emotional turmoil from the past few days had sent his body into overdrive, stringing his nerves out until they were frayed, and now that Thomas was touching him it was like his nerves were giving up on him completely. Newt whined low in his throat as Thomas peppered him with kisses, arching his neck to give Thomas more room. 

"Tommy..."

  
"Shhhh, I've got you."

  
Thomas didn't waste any time slipping Newt's shirt over his head and tossing it to the side, his hands running over Newt's chest and feeling every crevis and dip. Newt shivered under Thomas's touch, his skin feeling hot where Thomas's fingers trailed, a sensation Newt often craved and had missed so badly. Newt wanted to speak but no words would form and Newt gave in to letting Thomas give him what he needed so badly.

  
"So beautiful." Thomas murmured as he broke the kiss to slide Newt's shirt free from his body, his hands going right back to Newt's skin the moment the offending article was off.

  
Thomas reattached his lips to Newt's neck, trailing soft kisses down Newt's chest, over each rib and down to his belly button. Thomas wasted no time in unlacing Newt's trousers and wiggling them off, tossing them to the floor, leaving Newt fully exposed. Thomas kissed down over Newt's hip, down his leg and back up, doing the same until he reached Newt's other leg where he paused. Newt had been letting out small moans and whimpers, his eyes closed as he lost himself in the pleasure, but when Thomas stopped Newt's eyes opened and he looked down at Thomas in confusion but there was an edge of fear there, as if he thought Thomas had changed his mind.

  
"You know what I think about this?" Thomas asked quietly, the only sound louder than his voice was the soft crackling of the fire in the fireplace. Newt had so many works he could use to describe his scarred leg: ugly, useless, waste. Thomas could see the pain in Newt's eyes and he reached up to cup Newt's cheek with his hand, "I think it's beautiful. You took your own life into your hands and tried to live the way you wanted. Someone else didn't like that about you and they hurt you, but you got back up and you kept going. You took care of yourself and your sister and that's something I will always be impressed with. You are beautiful, not because you have no flaw, you are beautiful because you have flaws, because of what you believe in and who you are."

  
Newt swallowed hard, his throat felt too tight and the hot pools welling in his eyes, and that meant that once again Newt was crying. Newt hardly ever cried before Thomas, bottling his emotions up and locking them away, never focusing on them for too long, but Thomas made him stop and think, stop and feel and that meant that everything was stronger with Thomas.

  
Newt had never been worshiped like this, he'd never felt so loved and adored and it was making Newt's mind short circuit.

  
"I...t-tommy..." Newt opened his mouth and Thomas shushed him, placing a finger on Newt's lips with a small smile.

  
"You don't need to say anything Newt. I don't need you to response or even agree with it, but I want you to know how I see you." Thomas pulled his finger away and Newt stayed silent, trembling slightly.

  
Thomas placed his lips back on Newt's leg, gently kissing along the long scar that ran the length of his thigh, a few tears slipping free of Newt's eyes as Thomas did so. Thomas slowly worked his way back up to Newt's mouth, placing a gentle kiss there. Newt acted on sheer instinct, pressing his lips harder against Thomas's and wrapping his arms around his neck, needing to have Thomas impossibly closer. Newt's emotions were like a rollercoaster, and he was feeling everything from desperation to love to bashfulness and back again. Thomas noticed how Newt's grip tightened around his neck, how his kiss grew more and more sloppy and Thomas knew he needed to get closer to Newt.

  
"It's okay." Thomas promised, breaking the kiss and pulling away just for a moment to shed his own clothes and grab a vile of oil out of one of the table drawers before moving right back to a shaking Newt.

  
"I'm right here."

  
Thomas placed one hand on Newt's neck to anchor Newt while his other hand quickly moved to prep Newt. Slicking his fingers and pressing them inside Newt.

  
"Tommy, please. Just..." Newt whined, pressing down against Thomas's fingers.

  
Thomas nodded, speeding up his thrusts, adding a second finger and another as Newt whimpered below him.

  
"Please, Tommy, Please. I need you." Newt sobbed and Thomas nodded, removing his fingers to quickly slick himself up. He leaned down to kiss Newt passionately, just as he slid inside of the other boy.

  
Newt felt pain, but it was nothing in comparison to the pain he'd felt over the past week, and Newt was more than happy to go through this little bit of pain for the pleasure he was getting. Thomas was taking all Newt's broken pieces and slowly patching them all up one by one.

  
Thomas wasted no time in starting up a rhythm, slow and gentle and Newt wanted to cry from just how tender Thomas was thrusting into him. Newt wanted to beg for Thomas to speed up, to thrust harder, but at the same time what he was feeling was so strong he didn't want Thomas to change a thing.

  
Newt's hands moved to grasp at Thomas, running his hands along the shorter boy's back, digging his nails into the skin harshly when Thomas hit the spot inside of him that sends pleasure coursing through every inch of his body.

  
"Tommy....I love you so much."

  
Newt's back arched, moaning loudly as Thomas's hands roamed across Newt's skin, and Newt wasn't the only one shaking now.

  
"I love you too. So much, Newt. You are so beautiful."

  
Thomas moaned, peppering kisses all over Newt's face as they melted together, loosing themselves in the other as they put their souls back together. Thomas encouraging Newt, praising him until he held onto Thomas harder, moaned louder and fell deeper. Newt was the first to fall over the edge, gripping so harshly onto Thomas that he was sure Thomas would have bruises com morning. Newt came with a sob, shaking as he came down from his orgasm, Thomas following just a moment after.   
They tried to catch their breath, both boys breathing heavily. Thomas rolled off of Newt, his chest rising and falling rapidly as he looked up at the ceiling. Newt weakly reached for Thomas who pulled Newt close, wrapping an arm around Newt's waist and kissing his hair.

  
"I will always be yours. I'm not going anywhere."

  
All Newt could do was nodd. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'd love to hear your thoughts on this story. I'm trying to focus on detail quite a bit with this fic, because I have a tendency to see what I'm writing in my head, so most things go without saying when I write them down because I know what I'm seeing in my head-but of course the readers don't. So I'm trying to add more detail so that you all can get the same feeling I do when I see it. Is that coming across well? What do you love? What makes you feel angsty? What are you hoping for? I love hearing what you guys think!


	8. Author Note

Hello everyone! I'm so sorry for there not being a recent update. My life got crazy and there was so much happening with my two jobs and everything else that I just didn't have time to write. I'll be working more on a new chapter this week and hopefully it'll be up this weekend! Thanks for sticking with me!


	9. Pillowtalk

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'd like to apologize for the long wait for this chapter. Work was crazy and then I got sick and while I was on a flight a kid pulled my laptop out of my bag and smashed it and I've been fighting with the people who have my warranty on it for weeks and I'm just now having a new laptop shipped to me, so I'd not been able to write anything until now.

The morning that followed held a stillness in the atmosphere as Newt and Thomas sat side by side at the table in the kitchen, munching away at their breakfast. The night before had been an intense one, both physically and emotionally, and as such both were fairly exhausted. Neither had spoken any words in the morning light, instead their communication was limited to small smiles and gentle touches, letting the other know they were okay, just not quite ready to tackle what they needed to. They sat close to each other, their arms brushing lightly against one another as they reached for a bite of food or their glass. There was a comfortable silence floating in the air, the sound of birds outside and the horses in the barn were the only sounds to be heard. Both knew they'd have to have a conversation about what went down the night before but right now they were content to just enjoy breakfast together, each saving up their strength for the serious talk that would follow. 

It didn't take long for them to finish their meal and it took even less time for Newt and Thomas to find their way back up to their room. They could have gone outside, down to the lake perhaps, but they were so used to hiding away that somehow it felt safer in this room, as if nothing could hurt them if it were kept within these walls. It didn't take words between the two for them to slide back into bed together, this time clothed in simple lounging breeches and shirts. Thomas pulled Newt into his arms, Newt's back pressed against Thomas's front, their legs tangling together. Thomas threaded his fingers into Newt's hair, gently running his fingers through the strands as Newt reached up to gently caress at the arm around his chest. 

"This is going to be quite awkward, shalnt it?" 

The words were the first spoken of the day and Newt couldn't help but smile a bit at them. " 'Fraid so."

"We should probably get it over with then." Thomas mumbled into the back of Newt's neck, wishing he could hide away from this conversation forever; but he knew they mustn't. 

Newt nodded but remained silent, he never had been very good with words. 

"What happened last night...I want to avoid that happening again. I need to know what caused it so that I can prevent it."

Newt could hear the concern in Thomas's voice and though Newt could almost picture what Thomas's face would look like screwed up in concern, his lips tight and his eyes scrunched ever so slightly, he knew that this conversation shouldn't be hidden from. Newt turned in Thomas's arms so that he was facing the other, wrapping a single arm around Thomas's waist. 

"In case you haven't noticed, I'm not very good with words." Newt began, staring at Thomas's collar bone so that he wouldn't have to look him in the eye, because if he did he was going to loose his nerve. "Until you, that wasn't much of a problem. Sonya knew I wasn't good with words but she could read my face and it wasn't as if I needed to share anything too personal with her, so it all worked out, but with you...words aren't enough. I want to say things that I can't find words for, I'm no poet, but I've found my own way to say things to you and that's through this." 

Newt moved his hand to gently rub at Thomas's back, a smooth steady motion, looking up at Thomas's eyes, trying to communicate with them.

"Having you close to me makes me feel safe. When you hold my hand it's like a little reminder that you're there. When you kiss me it's a promise that you care about me and when we're alone together, writhing against each other..." Newt's cheeks colored a bit at this and he ducked his head, "I know it means you feel the same about me. I can show you how much you mean to me by worshipping every inch of your body. I don't have words for it but I have actions."

Newt closed his eyes for a moment as he tried to bring himself to admit the hardest part of the whole ordeal and Thomas seemed to sense that he needed time because he stayed silent. "But I need the same thing in return. Going without your touch...it's the worst feeling I could have. I need to feel you to know that you're there, that I'm not making you up and I've gone crazed." Newt's voice was quiet now embarrassed that he needed something so frivolous to feel normal. He expected Thomas to call him silly or laugh but instead he pulled Newt closer and kissed the top of his head. 

"Sometimes I forget," Thomas began quietly, his fingers still playing with Newt's blonde strands. "you can't read my mind, you don't know what I'm thinking. The only thoughts I have of you are good and they are often and when I think about you so much, I forget that you don't know that. Sometimes I forget, because when I'm holed up doing my duties all I'm thinking about is you and when I come back to you at night; it's like...it's like a dream becoming real. When we first started this I kept slipping up, almost grabbing your hand or kissing your cheek and I knew that could never happen. I tried so hard to guard myself and keep everything in my head that I think I pulled back too far. I love you, Newt. I love your mind, I love your opinions and I love every inch of your body, but sometimes I forget that I don't show it on the outside because I'm so used to keeping it in. And with what happened...I didn't think you'd want to be close to me." 

Newt shook his head, "No matter what you've done, I will always want to be close to you. When I'm close to you, even if things don't make sense, even if things are painful, I feel like there's hope. I would never want to be away from you."

"Can you ever forgive me?" Thomas's voice was quiet, tired like that of an old man and full of worry. Newt hated that their situation had become so messed up.

"Always. Tommy, I'm sorry. I should have noticed what was bothering you. I never meant for you to feel like-"

"No," Thomas shushed Newt with a finger pressed gently to his lips. "You can't read my mind. I should have told you how I was feeling. That's how these things work right? Trust? You didn't deserve to be treated like that, no matter what I thought."

Newt didn't have a response to that, after all, what more could he say? What was done was done and they would just have to move on from here. Newt gave Thomas a gentle smile, moving to press a kiss to Thomas's lips because after all, he wasn't very good with words.   
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
The next few days were the greatest days of Newt's young life. Mornings were spent laying in bed with Thomas, some mornings trading kisses and others waking up in a desperate frenzy to be close to the other. Afternoons were spent with tea on the dock or in the garden, followed by a swim in the lake or a horse ride through the forest. Evenings were filled with quiet meals and warm baths, but the nights were Newt's favorite. Making love with Thomas was Newt's favorite thing, not because it made him feel good but because he felt so close to Thomas in ways that he couldn't when they were clothed and speaking with Minho (or the horses, god knows they were silently judging them). It was during the night that Newt could be completely open and vulnerable and know that Thomas would always accept him the way he was, judgment didn't exist. 

In turn, Thomas was more open in these moments, his brain so overcome that he didn't think too hard on his flowery langue or his usual long thought process. The prince didn't exist in this space, there were no laws or expectations to keep up, It was just Thomas, raw with no filter, open for Newt to see. At night Thomas had no masks to hide behind or walls to break down, he was just as open as Newt. 

Most nights the couple would retreat to Thomas's chambers together, but tonight Thomas had Minho bring an extra mattress down to the grand living room,placing it right in front of the fire. Newt had already fallen asleep on the couch in front of it the evening before, claiming the sound of flames and warmth from the first relaxed him and Thomas had decided to surprise Newt. The teasing from Minho had been endless but Thomas had threatened him with a beheading and though Thomas was completely joking, Minho knew better than to test the threat. 

A few hour later Minho was gone, replaced by a warm fire in the fireplace and candles on the hearth. A bowl of fresh berries lay ignored on the floor and Thomas was gently running his fingers over Newt's warm skin, his eyes following every movement as he tried to map out everything he could. Newt shivered happily at the touch, quietly moaning when Thomas moved them over a sensitive area, losing himself in his favorite feeling. The atmosphere was quiet and comfortable, no more fears and worries, no more dancing around the other, just love. It was in that moment that it really hit Newt just how much he loved Thomas, there was no life without the other and Newt immediately pulled Thomas in for a passionate kiss that lead to both of them tangled in each other’s hold, writhing into the sheets well into the night. 

It was easy to get lost in days like these, to forget the outside world and all their responsibility. Newt hadn’t once thought of what it would be like to return to Paradon, what it would be like to going back to hiding in the shadows and acting as if Thomas was nothing more than a brother through marriage. Likewise, Thomas had completely forgotten about treaties and trade deals and though it had taken some effort he’d managed to avoid thinking about the Sonya situation for the time being. The boys were lost in a world of love, warm touches and smiles; but of course all good things must come to an end.   
~~~~~~~~~~  
“Thomas! Thomas! Wake up, you quisby!”

Thomas groaned as he was stirred out of sleep by a loud banging on the door to his chamber. Beside him Newt was still asleep but quickly starting to show signs of consciousness and Thomas threw a glare at the door, vowing to put something vile in Minho’s food for waking him and Newt up from such a comfortable sleep. Their prior night had been spent like all the others, moaning each other's names with clothes forgotten, and after managing three rounds Thomas was exhausted and in no mood to be woken up in such a violent way.

“Just open the door you Klazomaniac!” Thomas huffed, propping himself up on his elbows, causing the sheet to slip down to his waist and exposing his bare torso. When Thomas glanced over at Newt to see if he was awake he caught the blonde staring and Newt gave him a little smirk just as Minho burst in the door. 

“What is so bloody important that you thought breaking down Tommy’s door was acceptable?” Newt huffed, burying his face into his pillow in protest of the light that shone in from the hall. Newt had expected a sarcastic remark from Minho, perhaps something about how his hair was looking good today, but instead was met with silence and suddenly Newt was wide awake. 

Minho turned to look at Thomas, his face more serious than Thomas had ever seen him before. There was no amusment in Minho's eyes, no smile on his lips and the way his shoulders hunched could mean nothing but bad news. Panic set into Thomas’s chest, causing it to beat rapidly as his mind ran through a list of things that could be wrong; was something wrong with the baby? Had a war been declared? Was someone going to hurt Newt?

“It’s your father.” Minho said gravely, “He had chest pains last night and this morning they found him cold as ice in his chambers. The page arrived just a moment ago with the news. You're required back in the kingdom for your coronation.”

Thomas sat frozen for a moment, blinking silently at Minho as if he hadn't heard a word the boy had said. Newt reached out to place a gentle hand on Thomas’s arm in support, though Thomas didn’t even acknowledge that he’d noticed. Thomas knew he should feel some sort of remorse or sadness about losing his only remaining parent, he should feel upset maybe even shed a few tears but instead, he felt nothing. Thomas’s body was numb and though he knew Minho and Newt were waiting for a reaction he had none to give. 

“Thanks for telling me, Min. Make sure to have the carriage ready to go by the time we’re done with breakfast. Send the page with a letter to Sonya to let her know she’s going to need to get ready for her coronation as well.” 

Minho looked as if he wanted to press, but Minho knew that Thomas wasn’t ready to talk to him about it, didn’t even look as if he knew himself, so Minho let it drop with a nod. “As you wish your majesty.”

Newt blinked as he watched Minho leave and just as Minho turned to close the door he caught Newt’s eye and Newt was able to catch the words ‘Take care of him’ before the heavy wooden door was closed. Newt turned to Thomas and took his hand, intertwining their fingers together. He gave Thomas a few moments to process before he opened his mouth, the amount of silence scaring him. 

“Tommy? Are you okay?”

Thomas blinked as if he was just now fully waking up and looked down at Newt with eyes that seemed more distressed than sad. 

“I…Newt, I’m such a horrible person.”

Newt’s eyebrows furrowed, not following where Thomas was going with this. Thomas saw Newts confusion and ran a hand through his messy hair, making it look even crazier than it had moments ago.   
“I don’t care that he’s gone.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know this chapter was a bit short but the next one will be pretty long. There are only one or two more chapters to this story (and an epilogue) and I want to thank all of you who stuck around for the almost 2 month hiatus this fic had to take. I promise it will go out with a bang!


	10. Crowns and Candor- Epilogue

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And we've reached the end! I hope you've all enjoyed this ride! Without further to do, here is the final chapter of Golden Rose!

“Tommy?” Newt’s voice was full of concern as he straightened the red velvet cape that fell from Thomas’s shoulders, more of a nervous gesture than trying to fix its orientation. “Are you okay?”

Thomas gave Newt a tender smile, nodding a little as he watched Newt’s face. The ride back to Paradon had been a long and silent one and as soon as they’d arrived back at the palace, Thomas had been whisked away to meetings to discuss the coronation that would take place in the morning. The meetings lasted all night and by the time morning arrived Thomas wanted nothing more than retire to his chambers and sleep, but he hadn’t been so lucky. Instead, he’d been brought to his chambers and dressed for the occasion, in garments far more lavish than he'd ever worn before. 

Now, hours later, he stood inside a set of double doors that led to the large ballroom where his coronation would be held. On the other side of those door was Thomas's future and the weight of the situation wasn't lost on him, though to others it might not appear that way. Thomas was running on fumes, the circles under his eyes dark and large and he looked as if he might fall asleep at any moment; but to Newt he still looked beautiful. 

“Yeah…I think I am.” Thomas said quietly, picking at his breeches nervously, too tired to even register the action. “I know I should feel sad but…I don’t. My father cared more about power than he did about me or my happiness. I know he’s my father and I should still feel something but…I just don’t. In fact, I’m happy.”

Newt’s eyebrows furrowed in confusion, dropping his hands from Thomas’s shoulders as he waited for Thomas to explain. 

“Now that my father is gone, so are his rules. I get to make changes to help the kingdom. All those people who don’t have anything, I can change that. I can break the marriage with Sonya so she can marry the person she loves and I…I can do the same thing.”

Thomas broke out into a grin, dropping down onto one knee. Thomas wasn't sure if he was acting on impulse or sleep deprivation but he wasn't about to take his actions back. Newt’s eyes went comically wide and though he knew they were alone in the hall he looked around in a panic, worried they might be caught. “Tommy! What the bloody hell-“

“Marry me,” Thomas said simply, taking Newt’s hands in his own as Newt’s cheeks flushed red. “Do me the honor of being my other half. We’ll rule together. Forget Kings and Queens, I say it’s time for Paradon to have two Kings.”

Newt blinked his face reading panic all over, causing Thomas’s stomach to tie up in knots, worried he’d said the wrong thing. 

“Bloody hell, Tommy. You really decided to pick now to propose? Two minutes before your coronation?" Newt's voice was higher than usual and Thomas's heart was pounding, worried that he'd said the wrong thing at the very wrong time; but then Newt smirked,"This is going to make a bloody brilliant story to tell to Sonya’s child.”

“Does that mean you’re saying yes?” Thomas’s eyes were so hopeful that Newt wouldn’t dare say no to them. 

“You can’t be that thick. Of course I’m saying yes.”

Thomas didn’t hesitate to stand up and wrap his arms around Newt, kissing him passionately on the lips, not caring if anyone happened upon them. For the first time in Thomas's life, he felt he was being completely himself.

******************************************************************

“Do you swear to rule the kingdom of Paradon with Honesty, Integrity, Strength and Wisdom?” 

Thomas nodded, his voice didn't waver as he replied, “I do solemnly swear to do my duty as king. To protect my kingdom during times of War and prosperity.”

“Then it is by the power vested in me that I crown you, Thomas Bartholomew Greene, King of Paradon.”

The cheers that erupted through the grand ballroom were deafening, though Newt hardly noticed the noise, too busy being overwhelmed by pride for Thomas, his finance. The idea was so new to Newt but he already found himself using the title without thinking about it, as he watched Thomas move gracefully through the crowd. Thomas moved down the red carpet aisle to the balcony outside, where he would be introduced for the first time as king, Minho and Newt followed behind. 

The guards opened the double door to the balcony and Thomas was met with a wall of cheers, the ruckus so loud he couldn’t even hear himself think. The crowd filled the castle grounds and poured out into the streets, every subject trying to catch a glance at the new king. Thomas gave a friendly wave to the crowd and was met with even louder screams and cheers. There was an energy in the crowd that Thomas couldn't put his finger on and it made his insides twist up in nervous knots. Minho stood closely behind Thomas, his focus on the crowd and Thomas’s safety, though Newt knew that Minho was beaming with pride on the inside. Newt's own attention was on Thomas himself. 

Newt had never seen Thomas look so sure of himself as he did in this moment. On his head sat the crown jewels, his robes were of the finest quality velvet and dripping with jewels, Thomas carried them off perfectly; but those weren’t the reasons Newt was so enamored with him in this moment. 

Thomas was commanding the attention of so many people just with his presence, and not to use the attention for his own gain or power, but to make his kingdom a better place for everyone. Thomas’s heart and soul were what was shining brighter than ever before and Newt felt his throat tighten. 

“Thank you!” Thomas yelled out, waving his hand to quiet the crowd below. Once all was silent Thomas took a pause, “It is under unfortunate circumstances that I stand before you as King,” Thomas’s voice boomed over the crowd in a way Newt had never heard him speak before-regal and sure. “but that does not mean the beginning of my reign will be darkened by this loss.”

Thomas’s gaze swept the crowd, so many people from so many different places, each with their own stories. Thomas wanted to be a part of that, to make sure that everyone could follow the life they wanted. “I aim to be a far better king than my father. There shall be no more hiding, no more fear of what or who you desire.” 

Thomas smiled a bit, “My father kept me in fear of what I most desired, what I most loved." Thomas took a deep breath as he continued, "You all know me to have married princess Sonya, but we were never in love. It was my father’s idea to continue the thrown, a plan that I had no say in. I was forced to hide my true love from you all…only because of my father’s intolerance.” 

The boos and hisses that were heard encouraged Thomas to continue, oblivious to the way Newt’s heart was pounding in his chest just a few feet away.

“Today I come before you as your new King and I think it’s only fair that you meet my other half. Soon to be your second King of Paradon.” Whispers rose from the crowd but Thomas was not deterred, it was now or never and Thomas didn't want to wait any longer. He turned to where Newt was standing and held his hand out, letting Newt know he wanted him close. Newt moved towards Thomas was a nervous grin and Thomas took his hand in his own before thrusting their intertwined hands into the air. The crowd cheered louder than Thomas had ever heard before.

************************************************

Hours later when the sun had long since disappeared and the candles were burning low, Newt and Thomas lay tangled together in Thomas’s sheets, both glowing with sweat and happiness. The day had been long and they were exhausted but the day held promises of positive things to come. 

“You’re king.” Net whispering into the skin of Thomas’s neck, a smile dancing on his lips as if he still couldn't quite believe it. 

“And you shall be soon as well.” Thomas pointed out, brushing Newt’s damp hair out of his face. 

“Sitting on the throne, married to the king of Paradon….never in my dreams…” Newt shook his head and chuckled to himself, snuggling closer into Thomas’s side. Newt had never imagined anything more than a simple peasant's life, working his fingers to the bone to keep his sister safe, and now he was living in the palace with the love of his life; and his sister was safe and cared for. 

“I’d say I got the best end of the deal. I’m king and I get a beautiful man in my bed.” Thomas teased, kissing Newt’s forehead softly, Newt’s cheeks tinting at the praise. 

They stay silent for a few moments, just enjoying each others company and reflecting on the craziness of the past few months- until Thomas broke the silence. 

“My guards found your father today.” Thomas said quietly, waiting to see what Newt’s reaction would be. Newt pushed himself up onto his elbows, looking down at Thomas with furrowed brows, a sign Thomas knew meant he wanted a deeper explanation. 

“I had them kick him out of the kingdom. He’s banned from returning and he had been marked as an enemy of the crown. If he dares try to enter again he will be hung in the town square as an example of what will be done to those who hurt others.”

Thomas could feel his stomach doing nervous flips, worried he’d overstepped his boundaries and Newt would yell at him;so when Newt leaned down to kiss him he was a little surprised.

“Tommy! You…you’re bloody wonderful!” Newt grinned, smiling down at Thomas from his place above him, his eyes shone with happiness. 

“I want you to be safe Newt. Always.” Thomas reached up to cup Newt’s cheek in his palm, gently stroking the skin there. “And I will always keep you safe.”

Their lips met in another sweet embrace as they fell into each other.  
*******************************

The reign of King Thomas was the best that Paradon had ever seen. It took no time for Thomas to begin putting new laws into place and tearing his father’s old rules down. Thomas made sure that everyone could marry who they wanted, no matter their gender or social status. He gave the poor and starving in his Kingdom jobs so that they could create a new life for themselves, putting them all through tutoring and training so that they could grow. He started a program to care for the soldiers who’d been injured in battle and were unable to work, giving them ways to learn new skills they could use. Thomas put all of his focus into making the Kingdom a better place for all; and not just outside the palace walls. 

Inside the palace, Sonya and Felicity were raising a beautiful girl named Emilia, who would one day become Queen and rule Paradon when Thomas and Newt passed. Until then, the Kingdom was ruled by Newt and Thomas, each balancing the other out. Minho had found love with one of the girls who’d come to the palace to learn to be a cook and Thomas had instantly made a place for her in the palace, ensuring her job and safety and his best friend’s happiness. 

Though all those things were great, Thomas would tell you that the best thing was spending the rest of his life with Newt. The two were married just months after Thomas’s proposal, with a large party to celebrate. Thomas had been able to marry the person he loved, in front of everyone he cared about. It was everything Thomas had ever wanted and more than Newt had ever dared dream of. The honeymoon had been amazing and Newt swore he’d never walk again, though Thomas knew he was being over dramatic. 

 

For the first time in decades, all was well in Paradon.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for reading, commenting and leaving Kudos! This was a fun journey for me and I stretched myself in my writing harder than ever before. So much research went into this fic and it was constantly being reshaped. My original plan for this fic was lost in the dust thanks to these two boy's doing what they wanted. They grew in ways I didn't expect and I loved every minute of them surprising me. I hope that this fic ended in a way that you all enjoyed! Thank you so much for taking the journey with me!


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